Spyware Laws

Spyware: The Online Menace

The internet has proved to be a very useful tool which assists us with our daily lives, but as technology increases with our ever-demanding needs, so does the software that can put us all at risk. In recent years, the issues linked to organizations (both large and small) and fraudsters using spyware to advertise a range of products and services have been vast and has led to many countries taking a stand on what has become a growing concern.

Implemented spyware laws

Each country may have its own views on how to deal with the use of spyware in the internet industry and some are taking evasive action to prevent further problems from arising.

• In 2004, The Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act was written into US law by the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This decree makes it illegal for allowing users to download a program without his/her knowledge with the aim of utilizing personal information by deception.
• Established almost 18 years ago in the UK, allowing illegal software to access a computer without prior authorization from the user via methods such as spyware can be deemed criminal, as per the Computer Misuse Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.

Other countries throughout the world are considering initiating similar laws to that of the US and the UK. Despite controversy behind the continuous use of such advertising software, some officials and leaders argue that taking action to prevent such a problem could be difficult to enforce as spyware can work stealthily and will not always alert the attention of a computer user.

Problems spyware can cause

Should spyware successfully manage to download itself onto a PC, this can often lead to severe consequences. Of course, the worst case scenario is that by way of keylogging, an individual (or indeed a group of people) can obtain vital bank and/or credit card details. This is perhaps one of the most common problems associated with spyware advertising but there are other ways that such advertising methods can affect a computer.

1. Spyware can convert into viruses that affect many major operating systems; a Trojan horse is one of the worst types of infection that can be transmitted
2. An individual or number of people can observe all of the websites that any family member might visit
3. If a hacker were to access any PC following the installation of spyware then he/she would be able to alter content on home pages or other personal use sites

One can take comfort in knowing that if a user had basic protection against spyware, there will be an alert to inform the individual of improper use from an unknown source.

If you have doubts about the safety of your PC then it is vital to check by running a security scan, which is a feature available with a majority of anti-spyware software. Such a check will only takes a few minutes but this could make a huge difference between a safe and unsafe computer system.

Protecting your PC: Anti-spyware

It is a known fact that some homes still do not have anti-spyware software or maybe just have a program which proves inadequate to protect vital data. Choosing the right protection for your computer can prove difficult but this is a decision you don’t have to fret over.

After searching through the many different types of anti-spyware programs available, one of the very best has to be Spyware Doctor by PC Tools. Take advantage of first class software that will not only protect against spyware and adware; but will also safeguard your PC against phishing websites and much more. This software comes highly recommended and is one of the most competitively priced. Spyware offers ongoing security and safety for up to three systems, free customer support, and a 100% money-back guarantee.

Though our governments are doing the best they can to protect us, the threat of spyware is still very real. Every computer user must take responsibility to protect themselves with anti-spyware software.