Spyware
versus Adware: the Difference Impacts Your
Privacy
Many
people use the terms Adware and Spyware
interchangeably. You shouldn't! There are
important differences between the two. True,
both terms refer to the act of tracking
your computer activity, such as how long
you visited a particular Web site.
However,
the key difference is the intent behind
how and why a business collects your information.
Adware is commonly associated with pop-up
advertisements used by businesses trying
to sell you something. However, Spyware,
the more malicious of the two, isn't trying
to sell you, instead, it's trying to take
something from you -- your credit card and
social security numbers and bank account
information. Some Spyware collects information
about you and, if placed in the wrong hands,
could be detrimental to your financial wellbeing
and used to steal your identity. Adware
is usually something you can see. Whereas
Spyware often can't be seen, in fact, businesses
behind Spyware don't want you to know they're
lurking. Therefore, you may have a Spyware
infection and not know it. One vicious Spyware
is keylogging, a tool that hangs about in
the background, logging your keystrokes,
including account numbers and passwords
you type on your keyboard, and then sends
the information to the originating source.
Future
of Spyware
Spyware will only become more invasive with
no concern for your privacy, regardless
of what you want or think. Worse, no one
piece of software will protect you from
the above. Why? One belief is that there
are far more research dollars being spent
on developing Spyware than combating it,
since the information derived from the former
is more lucrative.
Protecting
Yourself
There are two methods to protect yourself,
both are equally important.
1.
Manage your computer usage behavior. If
you download most anything for free; movies,
software, music, etc., then you can anticipate
being exposed to highly aggressive forms
of Spyware.
2.
Utilize anti-spyware software programs and
a hardware firewall. Both help to fend off
Spyware. Lavasoft's Ad-Aware se and Microsoft's
AntiSpyware (Beta) programs are reputable.
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