PC Fear Factor: Official Spyware Page

The PC Fear Factor web site is pleased to announce that it will be publishing useful information regarding some of the most notorious, pervasive spyware products. (See the links to information about specific spyware products at the bottom of this page.)

Spyware is software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge and permission for some nefarious purpose. The objectives of spyware applications can range from annoying to devastating. An example of the former is spyware that monitors your web surfing habits and targets you with pop-up ads. An example of the latter is a keystroke logger that watches every move you make and steals critical information such as passwords and credit card numbers from your computer.

At the time I wrote PC Fear Factor, I made distinctions between adware and spyware, the distinctions being that adware was of the annoying variety and that adware asked for your permission to be installed.

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I no longer make such distinctions, due to the fact that adware applications often use deceptive tactics to make you think you are installing something you need, such as an update to your web browser. Or they fool you into installing some useful utility, in the hopes that you won't read the terms and conditions and see what else you are installing!

You may see other terms floating about on the web, such as "malware," "scumware," and "thiefware." I find it easier to use the generic term spyware to refer to any such "product", but have no problem with people who choose to use those other more colorful, and perhaps more accurate terms.

A good firewall like ZoneAlarm is a critical tool for detecting whether spyware has been installed on your computer. ZoneAlarm cannot prevent the spyware from being installed, but it can detect when the spyware attempts to contact the Internet (to send back information from your computer). The Windows XP ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) will not detect spyware because it does not monitor outbound communications from your computer.

This index page provides links to other pages that provide more detailed information about specific spyware products. For each application, you will learn:

What it (the application) is
How it gets planted on your computer
How to keep it off your computer
How to find out if it is already on your computer
How to get rid of it is on your computer

Click on any of the links below to learn more about these spyware "products":

Xupiter

Gator

Note: I do not have any pop-up ads on my web site. If you see pop-up ads when you visit this site, you have spyware installed on your computer.