Spyware & Malware are a problem that is costing individuals and businesses billions of dollars per year in lost time and revenue to detect and remove it. IDC, a top research and advisory company for IT and telecommunications industries recently surveyed over 600 organizations to determine what companies perceived to be their greatest security threat. The survey results showed that Spyware was listed fourth out of top security threats. This may not sound extremely important, but according to estimates, over half of consumer computers are infected with some sort of Spyware or adware. There are hundreds of anti-spyware programs on the market today, however the anti-spyware program is only as good as its database.
What is Spyware & Malware?
Spyware and Malware are software that is installed along with a program that is knowingly installed on your computer. Spyware collects information about your computer, data on your computer and information about you and it secretly sends to another computer or person via the Internet. Malware infects your computer and is designed to vandalize or cause data loss to your computer.
Spyware & Malware are a growing problem to businesses and individuals worldwide. According to statistics published by Earthlink in 2004, computers they scanned averaged 26 instances of Spyware per computer. As you can see, Spyware is a growing epidemic and every precaution must be taken to circumvent this problem. And Malware has been just as destructive, with 2005 figures of financial impact of and estimated $14.2 Billion.
What is the Problem with Spyware & Malware?
Businesses an individuals store all types of information on their computers. Information such as sensitive business information, company financial data, account numbers, credit card numbers, personnel information and other sensitive and private information.
When the Spyware or Malware program activates on your computer, it can collect this sensitive and private information and forward it to another person or computer or corrupt and destroy the data on the computer hard drive and then move throughout your network. When this happens, you will usually have little or no knowledge of this action.
What Types of Spyware and Malware Are There?
Spyware can be categorized by the level of intrusiveness and/or the use of information collected. Low-level spyware includes cookies and most adware. Medium to high level Spyware includes “monitoring†or “surveillance†Spyware designed to collect information for criminal purposes.
Malware can be categorized by the manner in which they spread. They can either be considered a virus or worm. Malware can either infect computers by triggering when executable software actives or transmit itself over a network as a worm to infect other computers.
How Much Does it Cost to Counter Spyware & Malware?
Consumers and businesses are expected to spend approximately $305 million on efforts to detect and eliminate Spyware, according to a recent report from IDC. This amount does not include the loss of time and productivity. When Spyware affects a companies network, it can slow down the productivity of employees and require the companies IT staff to track down and eliminate the Spyware. If Spyware affects your computer at home, it can slow your productivity, forward personal information and in some cases you may need to format your hard drive to eliminate the Spyware. Thus loosing all of the data not backed up.
According to research, the most cost-intensive category for Malware was “labor.†The loss of revenue was ranked second in 2005 approximately $14.2 Billion.
How to Protect Your Computer From Spyware & Malware?
There are two basic elements to any Spyware & Malware software. The elements are ability to detect Spyware & Malware and the ability to remove the detected malicious programs. To give your computer the most protection possible, it’s best to purchase an anti-spyware/anti- Malware program.
There are free anti-spyware & anti-Malware programs available on the Internet but we strongly advise you not to use them. Some programs are poorly written or have not been tested thoroughly and can create conflicts with software on your computer or cause damage. Some programmers also create anti-spyware programs only to remove other spyware and install their spyware or Malware.
It’s best to purchase an anti-spyware / anti-Malware program from a reputable manufacture and retailer. The key to protecting your computer from this destructive software is frequently updating your software’s database and running complete scans of your hard drive and any other storage media.
In conclusion, viruses, spyware and Malware are a billion dollar business and malicious programmers and companies are looking to cash in on you. Protect yourself with a quality security program and continuously update the software to give your computer the best protection possible when scanning your hard drive.
