How To Get Rid Of Spyware
How to get rid of spyware is a concern of many computer users today. For every spyware program there also are anti-spyware programs that can let you know if your computer has been infected by spyware. Interestingly enough some spyware developers use anti-spyware software to test the effectiveness of their own spyware and to try to make it less vulnerable to detection. Although remote installation of spyware occurs, many spyware programs must physically be installed on your computer so it is important to be sure who repairs and services your computer. Be sure they know how to get rid of spyware. If you use anti-spyware, you obviously want to keep it hidden so that someone attempting to install spyware on your computer would be unaware that they are actually being monitored. Some anti-virus programs also work against spyware and they provide good additional, if not total, protection. Spyware permits all your computer's activities to be recorded; one way of telling that your computer has been accessed by someone with spyware is to install your own spyware in order to determine what has been going on in your computer. File sharing is a way for people to share music, computer software or games over the Internet. It is simple to do. You just download software that permits you to connect your computer to a network of other computers using the same software and you are off to the races. Unfortunately, there are some significant risks involved in file sharing. If you do not install the file sharing software properly, you may make your computer vulnerable to having personal information stored on your computer retrieved by an identity thief through spyware. Van Dinh was the first person charged with fraud involving computer hacking and identity theft by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Dinh's story began in late June of 2003 when he bought 9,120 option contracts on Cisco stock at a strike price of fifteen dollars per share. With nine days to go before the expiration date of this Cisco put option contracts, the stock was trading at nineteen dollars per share, which meant that if that price level were maintained, his put option contracts would be worthless at their expiration. According to the FBI, instead of just taking the potential loss, Dinh concocted an elaborate computer hacking and identity theft scheme to bail himself out. He found a victim on a stock charting forum online and offered to allow the trader to beta test a new software tool used to chart stocks. Unfortunately, the program was actually just a ruse known in the computer world as a "Trojan horse" that contained a number of keystroke-logging spyware programs. Using the information gathered from the spyware, Dinh was able to hack into the unsuspecting victims stock trading account and put in buy orders for the Cisco option contracts from the victim's account. The order was of course filled with the option contracts in Dinh's account. Dinh rescued himself from losing a bundle by practically emptying the account of the unknowing victim. Upon noticing the suspicious activity in his account, the victim immediately notified the SEC who took only a few days to figure out what happened. The lesson to be learned here is that "Trojan horses" and keystroke logging spyware programs do exist. These invasions of your personal information cannot harm you unless you invite them in. Keep your virus software constantly updated. It is wise to be wary of downloadable programs offered from email, forums, or advertisements if you are not absolutely positive that they are legitimate. |
