Why is it called "Spyware"
?
While this may be a great concept, the downside is that the advertising
companies also install additional tracking software on your system,
which is continuously "calling home", using your Internet
connection and reports statistical data to the "mothership".
While according to the privacy policies of the companies, there
will be no sensitive or identifying data collected from your system
and you shall remain anonymous, it still remains the fact, that
you have a "live" server sitting on your PC that is
sending information about you and your surfing habits to a remote
location.
Are all Adware products "Spyware"?
No, but the majority are. There are also products that do display
advertising but do not install any tracking mechanism on your
system. These products are not indexed in our database.
Is Spyware illegal?
Even though the name may indicate so, Spyware is not an illegal
type of software in any way. However there are certain issues
that a privacy oriented user may object to and therefore prefer
not to use the product. This usually involves the tracking and
sending of data and statistics via a server installed on the user's
PC and the use of your Internet connection in the background.
What's the hype about?
This type of software causes network congestion and contributes
to the SPAM problem we are having in the County. Information about
BCPS users that have Spyware installed is being sent to remote
servers and that information is being used to generate mail and
pop up ads on BCPS machines.
Real spyware.
There are also many PC surveillance tools that allow a user to
monitor all kinds of activity on a computer, ranging from keystroke
capture, snapshots, email logging, chat logging and just about
everything else. These tools are often designed for parents, businesses
and similar environments, but can be easily abused if they are
installed on your computer without your knowledge.
How do I check to see, and if necessary
remove, Spyware from my computer?
The CSC web site provides directions for using AdAware software
to clean Spyware off of County machines. This
link will take you to the AdAware direction and download page.
