The biggest threat to the privacy, security and performance of your systems is the constant threat of
virus infections, spyware infestation and browser hijacking.
Virus
A virus is a small software program that is loaded on your computer, usually by email attachment or a part of a web page that automatically loads itself into your system. The main function of a virus is very simple. Make several copies of itself and infect other systems with them. Most
times a virus will affect the performance of your system and it is very rare that it will damage the hardware in your computer.
Spyware
Spyware comes in various forms, but basically it is a program or piece of information on your computer that either sends data about you or your computer habits to someone else on the Internet. This can be a company that is collecting data, or a thief seeking to steal access to your
computer or data like bank information on it. Spyware can also be a program that places unwanted ads on your computer. It is mostly responsible for those annoying pop ups that you experience.
Browser Hijacking
Browser hijacking is external code that changes your Internet Explorer settings.
Generally your home page will be changed and new favorites will be added that point to sites of dubious content. In most cases, the hijacker will have made registry changes to your system, causing the home page to revert back to the unwanted destination even if you change it manually. Have you ever seen an Internet Explorer Homepage set itself to about:blank? This is a case of browser hijacking. A browser Hijacker may also disallow access to certain web pages. It may prevent you from accessing web sites that may help you get rid of the hijack.
