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What exactly is Adware? Generally speaking, it's a program that installs an additional component that feeds advertising to you or points your browser homepage to sites feeding advertising.
Unless you're a fan of guerilla marketing, such tactics can be annoying. Worse, the mechanism that feeds the advertising can introduce system anomalies or incompatibilities that cause problems with other programs and can even disrupt the functioning of the operating system. Finally, a hijacked start page or toolbar can be difficult to reconfigure to its original settings because adware typically integrates itself in a manner that exceeds the average user's technical capabilities.
Even more frustrating, the now present system anomalies can prevent even seasoned users from accessing the system areas they need to delete the offending program. When it is successfully removed, the original free program you did want may not work without the accompanying Adware component, forcing users to either abandon a program they do like or subject themselves to a constant onslaught of advertising.
Some Adware is a bit more insidious than others. In order to provide targeted ad banners, Adware often contains another hidden component that tracks web usage. When this occurs, the program is no longer considered Adware but instead is termed Spyware. Information gathered, often referred to as "traffic data", can consist of rather benign cookies and time spent on certain sites.
However, more often it also obtains your system's unique numerical hardware ID (MAC address) and IP address, combines it with your surfing habits and correlates it with any personal information you provided when the "free" program was downloaded. Worse, it trades this information with affiliate advertising, building an increasingly complex dossier on who you are and what you like to do on the Internet. Is having your local temperature displayed on your desktop a fair trade for your privacy? If not, dump the freeware and buy a thermometer, because the odds are that's the trade you are making.
hotsecurity recommends the following for Adware & Spyware Prevention:
| Trend Micro :: |
Interscan Web Security Suite 2.0
- Blocks spyware and adware, plus hacking and remote access tools that could harm the network and
burden system resources
- Prevents criminals, scam artists, and advertisers from collecting personal or corporate information,
passwords, email addresses, and other data
Anti-spyware for SMB
Trend Micro™ Anti-Spyware for Small and Medium Businesses (SMB's) is the only standalone anti-spyware solution that automatically delivers best-in-class spyware detection and removal capabilities to networked PCs and servers. It safely and accurately blocks and removes spyware including adware, key loggers, security disablers, and browser hijackers, which drain company resources and productivity and steal customer and business information.
The proven solution shares the same trusted technology that has been pre-installed on over 6 million PCs by major computer manufacturers. With its silent deployment, automatic updates, and remote management capabilities, Trend Micro™ Anti-Spyware for SMB provides worry-free spyware protection that busy IT managers can set and forget.
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click here to view the Trend Micro Enterprise product range |
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