Adwares have become a major problem as far as security is concerned. In fact, it has surpassed the Trojan horse, considered the most harmful computer threats around, as the top concern for computer security in regards to number of infections. And because of its unique properties that differ them from the usual virus or worms, adwares have been in the center of controversies having to do with their legality. Some adwares are mild but some can cause rather major damages on a system and its user. But generally, it has become a huge distraction because of annoying pop-up ads, as well as causing slow computer performance.

One of the most popular adware circulating the Internet today is called ClickSpring. Also known as PurityScan, this one is a more subtle adware program but with many questionable features. Security experts have branded ClickSpring as a PUP, or potentially unwanted program. Though still not considered as a malicious software, or malware, this type has already raised several concerns due to its functions.

ClickSpring, unlike most adwares, has no characteristics similar to a virus or a Trojan horse. But it too is frequently bundled with free softwares and can be downloaded and installed on a system without the user’s knowledge. When executed and installed, ClickSpring can create several BHO, or browser helper object, entries in the registry and inject a DLL file to Internet Explorer, enabling it to make slight modifications to the web browser including additional toolbars and buttons.

Designed as a direct-marketing program, ClickSpring can display advertisements in many different forms such as banners, pop-ups, pop-unders or links built within web pages or sections of the Windows interface. Some of the ads may also include test ads displayed with the ClickSpring application itself with search bars, side bars and search results. This adware can also do behavioral tracking based on your activities including websites you visited, enabling it to display targeted ads relevant to your preferences. It can do this because of the program’s ability to collect data and report back to a remote server. It gathers sensitive data such as cache, cookies, temp files, temporary Internet files and search history without the user’s consent.

While there have been no reports of major damages, it has been documented that ClickSpring uses security exploits and other potentially harmful software to install itself to a system. It has also been speculated that this adware can also install more adwares and spywares on a computer.

That is why it is important that ClickSpring be removed immediate from your computer before creating far more damages. Fortunately, it is not that hard to remove this adwares as compared to other types of adwares. It generally comes with an uninstall function that can be easily accessed using the “Add/Remove Programs” function of the system. In most cases, using this step will remove ClickSpring on the first attempt. But if it does not, it is possible that there are other adwares installed on the system and a more thorough clean up will be needed.

Adware.ClickSpring Adware
Virus description: Adware.ClickSpring Category:Adware Another names: [Kaspersky]AdWare.Win32.PurityScan.fn; [McAfee]Adware-ClickSpring; [Other]Win32/ClickSpring.EY,Adware.Purityscan,purityscan,Adware:Win32/ClickSpring.PuritySCAN …

what is wtta.exe? — wtta process info
wtta has been linked to the malware purityscan/clickspring adware, and should be cleaned as soon as possible. since viruses and legitimate files can have the same names, it is important that you backup your hard drive before removing …

Does MySpace install spyware or adware on computers?
Without you knowing it, your "… machine would silently download a Trojan horse program that installs junk software in the PurityScan/ClickSpring family of adware. This stuff bombards the user with pop-up ads and tracks their Web usage …

Technorati Tags: adware, ClickSpring, how to remove ClickSpring, infection, malwares, MySpace, spyware, virus

Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used. Some types of adware are also spyware and can be classified as privacy-invasive software.

Some adware is non-invasive. It is put there by the programmer as a way to recover the cost of programming development, and sometimes even provide you the user a basic package free of charge or at a reduced rate so that then you can decide if you want to buy it.

The privacy-invasive type of adware can also download and install things onto your computer as well as send your personal information and web surfing habits to third-parties without your knowledge.

These programs can also install on your computer desktop pop-up ads, worthless icons on your desktop, open pop-up windows, slow down your computer and your internet connection, and redirect your browser to an advertising page. There are many other things that adware programs can do most of which you may not like.

Luckily for those of us who can’t program computers many programs have been developed to detect, quarantine, and remove spyware. Some are more useful than others.

When adware software invades your computer and sends out your information without your permission it is usually called spyware. When the adware software attacks your computer or uses it to attack another computer or system it is usually referred to as malware.

As a result a lot of these detection programs have been developed to detect, quarantine, and remove adware as well. Adware removal programs are used so that you can protect yourself as well and others from the harmful effects of these types of programs. Among the more prominent of these applications are Adware Deluxe and OptOut. These programs are designed specifically for spyware detection and will not detect viruses, although some commercial antivirus software can also detect adware and spyware, or offer a separate spyware detection package.

Technorati Tags: adwares, computer risks, security threats, spywares, Trojan horse, virus

From what we have already discussed in this humble blog, we know that adwares are softwares bundled with freewares or sharewares that enables advertisements to be displayed while the program is running. It is a way for the developers to earn income for their products without requiring users to pay for it. Adwares, though not all of them, can be distractions for users while performing their tasks.

But how exactly does one get adwares installed and running on his or her system? What do these supposed malicious wares do to your computers? Are they really that harmful as what most people have said? Let’s all find out.

The Causes

Most of the time, users don’t even know that they are getting adwares installed to their computers. In fact, most people do not want adwares to be deliberately installed on their systems. And because of this, developers have many ways on how to get them installed without even the users finding them out. Here are just some ways:

• Adwares are usually bundled with free programs, those that are known as freewares or sharewares. During installation of these programs, developers see to it that adwares are also installed to your system in the background.

• Some adware programs are run while a movie or video clip is being downloaded or played from a website. Users are usually blindsided into thinking that they are only watching something while an adware is already being installed.

• A user may be tricked into answering a question about downloading or running some software that are usually misleading. This includes description about the software that make people thinks that they are used for something else aside from being an adware.

• Malicious websites can also be a source of adwares. These websites usually take advantage of browser vulnerabilities or settings which may allow the installation of adwares without the user’s knowledge.

• Some cyber tricksters also use malicious hyperlinks on their websites. Visitors are tricked into clicking on them thinking they are being led into some webpage, but the truth is that the adwares is already being put into place in the background.

• Worms and viruses attached on emails can also be used to install adwares upon opening of the files or just even the email.

The Effects

After being installed on a user’s system, an adware may cause one or more things. Here are just some common ways these pesky malwares affect your computer and computing activities:

• Adwares can seriously slow down your system’s performance and cause instabilities with several processes.

• They can also make changes to the operating system, system files, registry and other important files stored on your computer.

• Adwares also has the capabilities to create many processes to prevent their removal, as well as ensure the abundance of advertisements being displayed, which in turn may become very annoying to the user.

• It can also slow down your Internet connection because adwares usually use part of your bandwidth to display ads.

• Adwares may also download more adwares and install them to your system, thus creating another circle of more problems.

• But more importantly, it pose great security risks to your computer, as well as become a threat to any network the infected computer operates on. That’s because they can also download and install other programs including hacker client tools that can be used to further harm your system, or worst give cyber criminals full control of your computer.

These are just some of the causes and effects of adwares to your system. It is important to know them very well to be safe from malwares that can harm your computer, as well as you. It is not bad to live an online life. Just make sure that you’re just always safe and free from vulnerabilities.

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Technorati Tags: adwares, cause, effects, free software, registry, spywares, virus

There are a number of indicators you can watch for which will suggest that your computer has been infected by spyware or adware. Please note that some of the symptoms listed below are not unique to just a spyware or an adware infection.

1) PC Performance – Both Spyware and adware consume your PC’s resource like computer memory. A bad spyware infection could dramatically slow your computer’s performance including causing your system’s to become increasingly unstable. Spyware also can affect your internet connection speed as it takes up bandwidth to communicate information back to its creator.

2) Pop up Ads – It is highly likely that your computer is infected by Adware if you notice more pop up ads appearing than usual. In some cases pop ads start appearing on the desktop even if you have not opened a web browser. Alternatively, search results may appear in a pop up or another browser window relative to the website you are visiting or keyword term you have typed into a search engine.

3) Browser Toolbars – These programs are commonly bundled with free software which the publisher often describes as ‘advertiser supported.’ The toolbar then feeds adverts based on the website you visit. They are usually very difficult to uninstall. ‘180 Search Assistant’ and ‘Huntbar’ are example programs.

4) Browser Settings – Your internet favourites or bookmarks and start page are two main settings which are targeted by spyware authors. Web sites are inserted into your list of internet favourites in the hope that you will visit them. Browser hijackers change the start page which is visited when the browser loads. Any unexpected change to your start page is a sign of infection.

5) Start Up Programs – Some spyware variants will try to add themselves to your Windows start up program list. If you boot up time becomes noticeably slower then review your program start up list to check for applications you are not familiar with and remove them. This program list can be review using the ‘MS Config’ option from the Windows XP Run command.

6) Software Failure – A spyware infection can cause some of your programs to crash or stop working. In particular watch if your Internet Explorer browser refuses to work all of a sudden.

7) Hosts File Changes – The Hosts File 1000 is a Windows file that maps the numerical IP Address to the Host Name very much like the address book on your cell phone ‘maps’ your friend’s name to their telephone number. Some spyware programs can change these setting so that when you type in ‘www.yahoo.com’ for example you are re-directed the spyware author’s website.

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Technorati Tags: adwares, computer threats, security risks, spywares, virus

Therefore, computer security is important to all Internet users. These threats bring nothing but trouble and it can also cost you your personal and confidential information. There are ways to remove the threats that didn’t cost you near a price of a laptop. But, before you learn how to remove the threats, first you must know what the threats are.

In this article, I will explain ten must-know threats for any computer and Internet users.

1. Internet Worms

Internet worms are programs that can affect another computer on the same network and it works differently from virus. It doesn’t need to attach itself to another programs to be harmful and can create an exact copy of itself. Worms spread via network and consume bandwidth. Have you ever wondering why your network connection becomes so slow? It might be because of the worms. Worms can have many malicious effects such as causing a server to crash, make a user’s files unusable, or creating a backdoor on target computer.

2. Rootkit

Rootkit can hide it presence in a computer and can avoid detection while running its utilities. It can create a backdoor on target computer and allow hacker to send spam emails or use the target computer to perform denial-of-service attack on servers. Detecting it is difficult as it can conceal its presence in a computer. One way to detect it is by running virus scanner while it’s not running. In this case, running the antivirus before the system boots the hard disk.

3. Zombies

When a virus or trojan has infected a user’s computer, it will open a ‘backdoor’ to allow hackers use the infected computer for malicious purpose without the owner knowledge. This infected computer is called the zombie. Furthermore, the hacker can sell the target computer access to others and others can use if for their own p 1000 urpose. If a spammer has gained an access to the target computer, it will use it to send spam.

4. Browser Hijacker

A browser hijacker can change your browser home page or search pages in your browser. In worse cases, it can disable your internet option so you cannot change the home page to the default home page. Furthermore, the browser hijacker can edit the registry so it can run every time you restart the Windows.

5. Email Virus

Email virus can distribute itself using email as an attachment. When you open the attachment, it will launch the virus and the virus will use the target computer to send the same email with the same attachment to other computer. It can also find files containing email addresses in the target computer and send the same email to the email addresses that it found. Sometimes, it can launch itself when the user views the email even though the user didn’t launch the attachment.

6. Mousetrapping

Was there a time when you cannot leave a website? This is called mousetrapping. The website will use a script preventing the Internet user from leaving the website. Sometimes, it will open a new browser and will display the same website. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to disable java script so the script no longer working.

7. Phishing

This is another threat that we faced online. Phishing is a term comes from fishing because the phisher will try to obtain your private information using bogus emails or bogus websites. If the phishers want to obtain your PayPal username and password, they will create a website that is the exact copy of PayPal and will email you asking you to enter your username and password using the link provided. The link they provided in the email will not go to PayPal, instead, it will go to the phishing website and if you enter your username and password, they will use it to get your money out of PayPal.

8. Spam

Spam is the junk emails or bulk emails send by the spammer to numerous recipients aimed to advertise something, scam, or sending virus. Spam can disguise itself as a personal email to bypass the spam blocker. Some spams do no harm but it’s a waste of time deleting it and it’s also annoying.

9. Spyware

A spyware is software used by hackers and advertisers to gain information about you. When visiting certain websites, you’re asked to install this type of software or updates that you need and the updates that you installed are actually spyware. Spyware can also install itself in your computer and it consumes memory usage and will slow down your computer.

10. Adware

Software that displays advertisement in your computer is adware and some of it installed itself in your computer without you knowing. However, not all adware are bad. Some of it is used to advertise something to fund the company. This type of adware will ask and tell you that they will install software that will display related advertisement in your computer. But, adware is a problem if it’s too difficult to uninstall, or it installed itself without you knowing, or it hijack your web browser and slow down your computer. This type of adware needs to be removed.

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Technorati Tags: adwares, computer threats, hijackers, rootkits, security threats, spywares, virus, worms

Fortunately the law intervened and along with anti-virus software the threat posed by computer viruses was soon under control. However, today’s computer threats span much further than mere viruses. The 2 big culprits are Adware and Spyware and in many ways they are more dangerous that computer viruses.

While most people use the term computer virus to loosely define all software threats, it’s not entire correct. Malware is probably a more accurate definition. Maware basically comes from MALicious SoftWARE – software that was created with the main purpose of destroying, harming or stealing.

Virusses, adware and spyware can all be defined as malicious software. Their sole intention is to either get some sort of data from your computer or to attack some aspect of your computer’s operating system.

Malicious threats can be classified into 3 main areas: viruses, adware and spyware. They are all different yet most people confuse them to be the same thing.

The Common Computer Virus

Everybody is well aware of computer viruses. While most people still use the term virus loosely for every kind of malicious infection. The fact of the matter is that computer viruses aren’t as big a threat anymore. Most Anti-virus software today will give you plenty of protection.

There are still a lot of viruses out there – especially on email attachments and dodgy websites, but for the most part the creators of these viruses moved on to something more important – making money. This is where adware and spyware applications comes in.

Adware

Adware started out as legitimate software installations that often came with purchased applications. The adware software was designed as a way to communicate with the users and to gather data to help improve the software or fix bugs. Unfortunately this ‘good intention’ became twisted and adware today is just completely a 1000 busing this concept.

Without you knowing it, you probably agreed to have that adware installed on your computer. The agreement is usually hidden in some dense Terms and Conditions document that no one ever reads. Most free software these days come with the hidden agenda of Adware and by deploying advertising on your computer they can make a lot of money.

Adware has become quite sophisticated and can gather a lot of your personal information that they can use to advertise to you. Virtually all pop-ups are adware. It can be extremely annoying, slow your computer down and getting rid of them can be a real nightmare – even with adware remover software.

Spyware

Spyware is sneaky. It’s clever and operates under stealth. It can install itself on your computer without your knowledge or your consent. While Adware is mainly designed to advertise to you, Spyware wants to steal from you.

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Technorati Tags: adwares, computer virus, security threat, spywares, virus, worms