Adware is a “malware” or malicious software that is placed on your computer without your knowledge. This can happen when you visit online web sites offering free downloads of games, when you download videos or music, or any share files, such as when you download that comic e-mail from your friend. Adware programs such as P2PNetworking are piggybacked into your machine at the same time you download a file. Adware is infecting millions of home computers today. Adware tracks your on line computer habits. It knows each site you visit and what you have looked up on that site. Some adware even tracks each keystroke you make, including every bit of information you fill out on a form, such as name and address, and credit card information when you make a purchase.
This has some in the online world worried that this can lead to identity theft and stealing of credit card numbers. Your computer surfing habits and personal information is then sold to businesses. Take note that only the severe type of adware does such things and normally spyware are responsible for tracking internet behavior of individuals. The Adware business is a billion dollar industry, with lots of people getting rich selling your information without your knowledge. For adware, there are a variety of such to which one has to be aware of like P2PNetworking that does sending of unwanted advertisements to ones computer system. This is a real disturbance and should be avoided. Another problem with adware is that unless you run anti spyware software often, you don’t know that adware been installed until your computer starts to slow down. By the time your computer slows down due to adware you could have as many as six or seven different adware programs running in the background. You can get rid of spyware by running any of the number of anti-spyware programs available on the market today.