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The term Adware is a combination of the words: Advertising and software. If you ask what is Adware: Then by definition, Adware is a software, which when installed, downloads advertisements from the Internet on to the computer it is installed on and then displays these advertisements.
Normally, no sane Internet user will download Adware voluntarily, and that’s why Adware comes bundled with a freeware/shareware software and begins displaying advertisements from the Internet usually whenever the freeware or the shareware software is being used.
Individuals or companies who make freeware or shareware software put in a whole lot of time and effort in making these tools. To recover their programming and development costs, they bundle Adware along with their freeware/shareware software, and the media company serves ads (suited to the user’s profile) on the Adware. The advertising income encourages the programmer to write more freeware/shareware programs or add to existing ones. What is Adware to you is a source of income for them.
Some freeware/shareware software developers may serve Internet advertisements in the form of banners on their software without bundling a separate Adware in their package. Some examples of software that bundle Adware would be Kazaa, Gator and eXeem.
Many users regard Adware with suspicion because most Adware track a user’s online activity, and such tracking raises privacy concerns. It is therefore important for a user not to give his consent to any tracking feature he may come across while installing his freeware/shareware product. Adware tracking features can not be disabled, Adware is extremely dangerous and should be removed if you notice in on your computer.
There are many programs that can detect and get rid of Adware: Ad-Aware, CounterSpy, Spyware Doctor, Spybot Search and Destroy and Spy Sweeper are some of the prominent Adware-killing applications.
Adware can also be installed on your computer using stealth means (by exploiting security holes). This kind of Adware is undesirable and irritating. Internet users should always update their operating system software by installing the latest security patches and they should also update their Internet browsers from time to time. These measures, along with a small anti-Adware application, will make their Internet life easier and free from unwanted ads.
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Online Privacy 