After years of the proverbial cat and mouse game between virus makers and security software companies end users were finally feeling quite confident in their ability to surf and e-mail safely. This illusion of safety did not last long as spyware reared its ugly head. It is difficult to say when spyware truly made its first appearance on computers. Per Lavasoft “In 1999, Steve Gibson of Gibson Research detected advertising software on his computer and suspected it was actually stealing his confidential information. The so-called adware had been covertly installed and was difficult to remove, so he decided to counter-attack and develop the first ever anti-spyware program, OptOut.” Needless to say OptOut did not solve the problem and you may be surprised to know that Norton and Mcafee fall far short of providing a reliable comprehensive solution. In the face of spyware like Vundo and WinAntivirus most protection applications are laughable.
I often have the question why do these “geniuses” program destructive programs when their skills can be used for the greater good? The simple answer is $$$$ money. When you get a pop up that says you are infected with X number of spyware or viruses don’t purchase the program that the advertisement recommends. Fight the urge to pay to make it go away (more often than not the spyware remains even after purchase) or you will simply be funding the makers of adware encouraging them to further develop more invasive programs to dupe the next generation of unfortunate users.
It is possible to protect yourself from threats! First of all make sure you have an updated spyware and antivirus program installed on your computer. At Systek we recommend and sell NOD32 Antivirus and Spyware Doctor. Once your PC is completely clean of spyware and viruses and these protection programs are installed you will be well protected. With both programs installed and update frequently your computer is actively monitored blocking threats before they have the opportunity to download or install. It is important to note that even the best programs are not 100% effective rather I would estimate their effectiveness at 95%. It is still important to be cognisant of what you are doing while on the computer. With careful computing and proper protection you will have a very low probability of becoming infected.