Spyware is dangerous. It attacks PC and invades your privacy. According to PC security experts, spyware gathers the information very meticulously. In fact, spyware creators employ different techniques to extract information from the PC without its owner consent.
1. Hijacking Cookies:
The most famous technique to extract info is through web browser. In general, cookies are left over by websites but spyware hijacks them to take control of the websites. By hijacking cookies, spyware attacks your PC and collects all the vital information regarding your browsing habits and passwords.
2. Executing Programs:
By running a program, certain spyware gets installed but running a program could also be what the spyware does after it is installed. By the execution of malicious ActiveX control, the hacker takes total control of the PC and it may lead to transmission of sensitive data.
3. Reading the Clipboard:
No doubt clipboard is an excellent of Internet Explorer, but through it there is a potential danger of copying the pathnames, user IDs, passwords, confidential info etc.
4. Accessing the Hard Drive:
By accessing the control over hard drive, spyware can cause damage to it. Through ActiveX control, spyware might move, alter, destroy or copy the info on hard drive.
5. Spoofing Web Pages:
Spyware can spoof the web page making the user believe that he is visiting the site that is actually being impersonated. However, many times a phishing scam will take a user to a Web site where the URL only resembles the real thing, hoping that the user won’t notice the difference. This can be a serious threat in case banking and financial websites involving credit card, user IDs and passwords.
6. Logging keystrokes:
A key logger is a program that is designed to record every keystroke on a user’s PC. But hackers and spyware makers use these key loggers for illegal purposes.
The only method to protect PC from spyware attacks is to Download Anti Spyware software and run it. The real time protection of the anti spyware safeguards the PC from possible online threats before they even try to access your system.