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How you can become infected with spyware by …
Downloading Files Online
The Internet is loaded with free files you can download, from screensavers and icons to music, articles and much more. But often these free files come with a cost, and that cost is a computer infected with spyware.
How can the seemingly innocent act of downloading a file leave you vulnerable to spyware and, as a result, identity theft and potential loss of money?
It all starts with a simple click.
You find a file you want and begin downloading it.
Many sites (especially file sharing sites) across the Internet offer files you can download for free, which can include:
· Text files such as articles and white papers
· Music files such as MP3 files and ring tones
· Icons and graphics such as emoticons
· Screensavers, wallpaper and more
Spyware is attached to the downloaded file.
Long before you started to download your file, a spyware villain attached spyware to it. Sometimes this spyware has been attached secretly and without your permission. However, often it is disclosed in the legal text flashed on the screen before you started downloading (called an End User License Agreement), and many people neglect to read the fine print and end up agreeing to download spyware.
Spyware silently loads itself on your computer.
Once the download is complete, the file you originally wanted is visible and ready for use. In the meantime, the spyware that was attached to the file has quietly installed itself and begins running in the background without your knowledge.
Your computer and identity are now at risk.
Spyware begins its sinister mission, which can include:
· Monitoring your computer activities
· Collecting your personal information
· Bombarding you with pop–up ads
· Altering files and crashing your computer
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