All About Spyware

What is it? - Spyware, also known as adware, is a program that monitors user information and actions through the internet typically without the user knowing.
How did I get it? - Spyware is usually packaged along with freeware or shareware programs and games that users download. You can also get spyware by visiting certain web sites or by clicking on an advertisement. This is sometimes referred to as a "drive-by-download"
What do they do? - These programs can transfer information about user activity on the web such as web sites you visit, products you are interested in, scan files on your computer, monitor keystrokes of chat and word processing programs, read cookies, change your browser home page and more.
Why wasn't I informed about spyware being installed? - Chances are you were. Usually the freeware program vendor will contain warnings or information about spyware being installed along with their program. The end user would have to sift through all of the legal-ease in the usually difficult to interpret licensing agreement. Unfortunately, few people read all the way through the licensing agreements.
Is it illegal? - Spyware itself isn't illegal, but some of the actions they perform with your information may seem illegal. Keep in mind generally by agreeing to the license agreements of the host software, you agree to allow the spyware to perform what ever it may do with the information it gathers.
Does spyware track private information? - Only the program creators can answer that. Marketing companies may say that the data collected from your computer while you are using the internet is for marketing and statistical information only to aid in better marketing their products. Many will say that their privacy policy will not collect or give out any sensitive or personal data from your computer.
Will it harm my computer? - Numerous problems have been reported due to spyware being installed. Spyware can hog your computers resources while it is in use. For example spyware dominates system resources by taking up internet bandwidth (affecting the apparentspeed of your internet connection) and using up processor and memory resources (causing your computer to slowdown in general). Spyware can also cause conflicts with other programs especially internet browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer. Spyware generally isn't intentionally designed to harm your computer. Problems with freeware programs failing after you remove spyware is a common problem as well.
What can I do to get rid of it? - There are many spyware/adware removal tools available for download over the internet. Some are free and some have a cost involved. Keep in mind that removing spyware can cause some freeware programs to fail (e.g. the file sharing program Kazaa). Once the spyware is removed some programs can't run properly. The choice is yours to choose a spyware removal program, and you will need to do your own research to find out what is best for you. Many spyware/adware programs can prove to be very difficult to get rid of and can cause your computer to have problems or crash altogether requiring you to reload your Operating System (windows, or mac OS etc.).
- WARNING ReachONE Internet takes no responsibility for what YOU decide to do with your computer. We do not endorse, warranty, or otherwise accept any liability for any software that you install or uninstall from your computer. ReachONE Internet will not be responsible for lost data, lost wages, lost time, repair costs, or any thing that could possibly go wrong or cause a problem. We can only give you ideas about what you can try to do. The choices and responsibilities are yours. In addition, ReachONE cannot provide technical support for any of the programs listed on any of these sites or any other software you choose to use. We STRONLY RECOMMEND YOU BACK UP ANY IMPORTANT FILES before attempting anything! If you have any doubts or reservations we recommend contacting a qualified technician to do your system maintenance and repair.
- The following links will refer you to web sites that specialize in the area of spyware and contain some useful information on the subject and many links to different types of software you could try out to help eliminate spyware programs. http://www.spychecker.com http://www.spywareguide.com
How can I prevent it? - Read carefully the entire license agreements of any and all software you use before installing it. Do your best to avoid the temptation of downloading and installing "Free" software or games. There is usually a catch. Try not to use music and file sharing software such as: KaZaA, BearShare, LimeWire, Morpheus, Grokster, iMesh etc. It's never a bad idea to research on the internet if a program contains spyware before you buy or install it.

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