Scams and Spams
Spyware Infections
 Spyware is malicious software that is
installed on a computer to collect information. The malware is installed without
the user's knowledge, and is hidden from the user.
Today's Spyware infections seldom cause a computer to crash, and the infections
are not usually that obvious. The cyber criminals want a working computer, not one
that is disabled.
Spyware can allow another person to assume your identity. Identity theft allows
a criminal to open bank accounts, take out loans, and conduct business all in your
name.
Spyware is not a minor problem – the cyber criminal activity is vast and so
is the amount of money involved. And the criminals are making their spyware even
more sophisticated and harder to detect.
An infected computer can:
- Log keystrokes
- Steal personal information
- Steal banking and other passwords
- Steal credit-card numbers
- Spread the infection to other computers
- Send Spam to other computers
- Redirect Web browser activity to advertising sites
The infected computer then sends the details to a remote computer. Funds may be
removed, there may be charges to credit cards, and identities may be stolen.
How infections occur
Infections can arise from:
- Malicious programs pretending to be security software
- Piggybacking on some other software
- Being tricked into installing a "useful utility"
- Downloading files from malicious Websites
- Security vulnerabilities in browsers
Signs of Infection
Here are some signs that a computer is infected, and a that malicious program is
running in the background:
- There are prolonged slowdowns.
- There is annoying pop-up advertisements or pornography.
- The browser is directed to unintended Websites.
- The search results returned are unusual.
- There is high CPU activity, disk usage and network traffic
- Applications freezing and failure to boot
- Difficulty connecting to the Internet
Infections and Protection
 The use of reliable anti-virus software is imperative.
Anti-spyware programs can provide real time protection against the installation
of spyware software on a computer. Anti-virus software can be used for detection
and removal of spyware software that has already been installed on a computer. The
software must constantly update itself.
Due to its popularity, installed spyware frequently involves
Internet Explorer. Its close integration with the Windows Operating system makes
it susceptible to Spyware attacks. Upgrading to Internet Explorer 8 is essential
to help avoid problems.
With badly infected systems or with multiple infections, the operating system may
have to be reinstalled.
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