Gain (Gator) ? The Virus
It just amazes me how there are companies out there, claiming to be legitimate businesses, who are distributing what can only be known as spyware, adware, malware, badware, and viruses. These companies get away with it due to obscure clauses and legal double-speak in their terms of agreements, if they bother to have one at all. Some websites will download unwanted spyware and badware on your computer without any consent from you at all. They claim that all of this information gathering has a legitimate purpose and that people are over-reacting. Some people do not know what a virus is. It is simply a program. Just like any other program you download and use everyday. It must be installed onto your computer. The difference between a virus and a legitimate program lies in the purpose for which it was created. A legitimate program was created to help you perform a task. A virus was created to harm your computer or steal information from you. The other difference is the first one is legal, the latter is not. A virus is legitimately defined as an executable program, however, any script or macro should be included in that definition in my opinion. If they are written with the intent of causing harm to a user?s computer or they are written and installed on a user?s computer in order to gather information on that user, then they are no better and no different than a virus, and should fall under the same laws that apply to viruses. If these programs like GAIN, Gator, and WinFixer are so legitimate, why are the techniques they use to install it on a user?s computer so sly? Why are they using these sneaky tactics, such as downloading it onto someone?s computer without disclosing what it actually is to the user in a clear manner? Why do they write their malware, badware, and adware in such a way as to have it resist your efforts to remove it from your computer? Your computer is something you bought and paid for. You have the right to decide what will be installed on your computer. Anyone who writes a program that resists your ability to choose to remove it is a violation of your rights. Our elected officials don?t know how to surf the web for the most part, let alone actually understand what the definition of a virus is and how to legislate against spyware and malware. Software companies who write legitimate programs lobby them to make sure they do not pass any laws that regulate the sale of software. Example: Name any other product or service where you must pay up front for it before you even see the contract you must sign and agree to before you can use it? Not only that, but large corporations support the use of malware, adware, spyware, badware, and viruses that gather information from users without their knowledge. They in turn buy that information to build their own consumer databases and use that information to sell you products. They pay to know what your habits are. As long as they are willing to pay for that information, companies like GAIN will continue to steal it from user?s and sell it to these companies. If you want to know how many programs on your computer are gathering information about you, you will need to get some type of spyware detection software. There are several available, however, be careful, some of those advertising the removal of spyware are actually installing it on your computer themselves. Make sure you do a search in your favorite search engine to find out about the brand of software you are thinking of downloading. If your computer is infected with Gator or GAIN, you may have to use anti-virus software to remove it. Many of the anti-virus companies have removal instructions on their website. If GAIN were a legitimate company and legitimate software, it?s highly doubtful it would have to be removed by an anti-virus program. I hope this article has been helpful to you. GAIN, WinFixer, and other programs that act in this unethical manner should be considered viruses and held accountable for the harm they do to your computer and liable for the time it takes to remove them. That?s my opinion. D. David Dugan is the president of DD&C (<a href=http://www.dugancom.com>http://www.dugancom.com</a>) and personally helps to maintain their computer support forum at <a href=http://forum.dugancom.com> http://forum.dugancom.com</a> as well as their Spyware Information site <a href=http://spyware.dugancom.com> http://spyware.dugancom.com</a>.
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Spyware Removal
You may have purchased a state-of-the-art computer, yet it is running so slowly that you have to pick up something to read while you wait for it to connect to the internet. You might need spyware removal for your PC, which is probably being tampered with by an outside source. Other problems, such as frequent error messages and security threats are caused by spyware, and spyware removal is essential to prevent the following: ? data mining ? aggressive advertising ? Trojan horses ? Browser hijackers ? Tracking components ? mouse monitors and similar intrusions. As more unscrupulous web savvy hackers are creating new ways to get access to your valuable personal information, Spyware removal is fast becoming an essential program for every PC. When you search the web, you not only find information, but you also leave a lot of data behind. Your computer can leave “footprints” of information as you surf, and can bring spyware back with it, like tracking sand into a home. Spyware removal can detect these parasitic devices placed on your PC that monitors your browsing habits so you can later get spammed by aggressive advertisers. Spyware also retrives sensitive information, such as your credit card number. Increasing security problems, theft and fraud are causing companies to do more research and to update their spyware removal capabilities. When choosing a spyware removal program, it is highly suggested to opt for a brand that is well known and has been on the market for some time. Some supposed spyware removal programs have proven to be false, and like the spyware they are supposed to be removing, they scan your disks in order to find sensitive information that can be used or sold. It is for this reason that some suggest using spyware removal that does not scan your disks. Other experts might object that a spyware removal program that does not scan your disk can not be guaranteed to remove all of your spyware, whereas others tout certain programs that are able to give maximum protection without scanning your computer disks. In addition to scanning your disks, many spyware removal programs also search your removable drives and your memory for traces of malware and spyware. Spyware removal works using Code Sequence Identification (CSI) technology and has an extensive spyware removal support system. Once your PC has been scanned, your spyware removal program logs the results of the scan showing which places contain spyware or other problems. It also removes any behavior tracking devices and prevents others from stealing your bandwith. Most spyware removal programs can also prevent keyloggers which take password and credit card information. In addition to installing spyware removal on your regular PC, you can also find spyware removal programs suited for the corporate environment. These programs work with multiple computers in a network, and work much like spyware removal for a PC, but on a larger scale. For most businesses, it is worthwhile to invest in the best spyware removal you can obtain, since, for commercial reasons, you are likely to be dealing with sensitive information for all of your customers. Don’t let spyware point the finger at your company when your customer’s credit card number is stolen. Many spyware removal programs can be obtained as free downloads for a limited period of time. These programs will do an initial scan at no cost and will continue to protect your PC if you purchase the spyware removal program. You can purchase sypware removal that can build an instant defense if there is some material that it cannot yet recognize. It is also a good idea to get spyware removal that does not eliminate anything without asking your permission first. For extra security, some spyware removal programs do not access any of your private information on your hard drive and do not connect to the net. If you trust your spyware company, you need not be afraid of a scan, but ensure that the company is a legitimate one before purchasing their spyware. Matt Garrett <a href="http://www.ghost-surf.com">www.Ghost-Surf.com </a> <a href="http://www.internet-privacy-systems.com">www.Internet-Privacy-Systems.com</a>
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