Spyware dangers

"Spyware" is any software that monitors or collects information on your activities without your consent. Spyware activities can extend well beyond the simple monitoring of your keystrokes or visited websites.

Spyware is a major tool for identity thieves and other online criminals. Unprotected computers can become infected through "free" software or utility downloads, email enclosures, peer-to-peer software use, or even malicious websites. Spyware can also be used to actively seek out your confidential data or personal information on your computer (Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, email address books, etc.).

Symptoms of hidden spyware on your computer

• Your computer behaves oddly, crashes frequently, restarts unexpectedly, or seems unusually slow.
• Your web browser takes you to unfamiliar sites that you didn't choose to navigate to yourself.
• Your system preferences are changed to settings you didn't select.
• Pop-ups appear that are unrelated to the sites you normally visit.
• Applications appear on your machine that you did not install yourself.

What you can do about spyware

• OLDER ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE DOES NOT PROTECT YOU AGAINST SPYWARE.
• Up-to-date antivirus software is crucial in combating spyware threats. Check the version of Symantec AntiVirus (SAV) installed on your computer, and make sure you are running SAV 10 or later.
• After you install SAV 10, use it to do a thorough scan of your machine to identity and remove any spyware that might be present.
• Symantec Antivirus software is free and available to all Yale community members for all your computers, both on campus and for all family computers at home.

Visit the ITS Software Library to download Symantec AntiVirus now.

 

 

---

Related topics

• Virus protection
• ITS Software Library
• Malware programs & web sites
• The dangers of peer-to-peer file sharing software

Related online resources

• OnlineOnguard.gov - Spyware