A lot of freeware are bad for your computer security, particularly those peer-to-peer programs like KaZaA, LimeWire, and Morpheus. These programs often install additional unwanted components such as "SpyWare". These components often remain in place even after the Peer-to-Peer program has been removed.
This happened to be because I was a music glutton. I downloaded LimeWire 4.07 and installed on my Windows XP. At first, this app seems to be quite promising fro what I wanted as a free music getter as it allows you to search for multiple files at the same time, music and programs. The sin caught up with me faster than light. I noticed that once I logged on to my DSL connection, my computer would keep sending and receiving several megabytes of packets. Making my system virtually slower than a 28.8 connection. I got quite paranoid because I have no idea what it was doing to my computer and what kind of damage has been done. I wanted to remove this piece of crap right away. I ran "Windows Add or Remove Software" immediately in hope that this will eliminate the problem.
I was dead wrong! Even after I ran the removal software process, my net connection's still fucked up. Meanwhile, my Norton Antivirus kept on finding 30+ viruses and Trojans on my system ranging from ABAP.Dosjob, Bloodhound.packed, DSO Exploit to Zyrtec.4300. Pretty much covering every letter from A-Z. I was frightened! After I have removed most of the viruses, I went and checked up on several webboards and downloaded a free trial version of NoAdware and located the process which was the source of the problem. All this went on for 8 hours from the time I got home at 8 PM to 4 AM this morning. This is crazy! I'll never install LimeWire again......It caused me more pain and trouble than other actual viruses. My suggestion to you all is "There are no such thing as free and good stuff.....and go buy legal stuff"
More info about Spyware:
What's that SpyWare thingy ?
Quote from
SearchCIO.com :
"In general, spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program. Data collecting programs that are installed with the user's knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared.
The cookie is a well-known mechanism for storing information about an Internet user on their own computer. However, the existence of cookies and their use is generally not concealed from users, who can also disallow access to cookie information. Nevertheless, to the extent that a Web site stores information about you in a cookie that you don't know about, the cookie mechanism could be considered a form of spyware. DoubleClick, a leading banner ad serving company, changed its plans to combine cookie information with database information from other sources to target ad campaigns directly to individuals without their permission. DoubleClick's current policy is not to collect "personally-identifiable" information about a user without their explicit permission or "opt-in."
Aureate Media, which distributes free software on the Web in exchange for the right to gather user information, is another company that has been criticized for not plainly indicating what data it gathers and for making it difficult to remove its programming.
Spyware is part of an overall public concern about privacy on the Internet"
