Spy Software Essay - 1310 Words

Spy Software Summary Spy software, or spyware, is software that records information and or activity on a computer and then sends the information to the person or company that installed it. While these programs have been around since the early days of Windows, there has been a recent wave of newer applications of them. The newer programs far outstrip their predecessors in what they do, who installs them, and how they are used. So what exactly do these programs do, who installs them, and should they be a cause for concern? The list of spyware programs is long and growing longer by the day. Investigator, Spector, and Cyber Snoop are some of the more well known ones, but there are countless others. Some common features include†¦show more content†¦Case Study: AudioGalaxy and VX2 AudioGalaxy bundled an ad program from Onflow for a period of approximately 34 days in late 2001. VX2 was a subprogram within the Onflow software that buried itself into the internet browser of the host computer and then went to work. It would randomly ‘pop-up’ advertisements while the user was surfing, and then send information back to VX2 corporation. All of this was done without the users knowledge, in fact the user was not notified that the program was even installed. The editor of Portal of Evil discovered VX2 while trying to eliminate pop-up ads from his website. Further investigation into the company revealed next to nothing. Emails went unanswered, and there was no other way to contact VX2. The privacy policy on VX2’s website basically says that it does not respect the users privacy, which does not inspire trust or confidence in them. â€Å"vx2s Software also uses artificial intelligence to discern and collect name and address information from online forms that you fill out. We use this information to allow our partners to reach you with personalized and targeted offers and advertisements that are relevant to your interests. We may also contact you directly ourselves with such offers.† - VX2 Privacy Policy In normal English this means that the program will take information from forms you fill out, such as: name, address, phone number, email address.Show MoreRelatedMalware And Its Effects On Computers1029 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the most significant threats to computers today is malicious software. Malicious software, also known as malware, is defined as any unwanted program that means you harm and is transmitted to your computer without you knowledge or consent. Malware is used to damage computer software, files, and to steal personal information. Malware comes in many forms, and in order to stay ahead of the threat, computer users need to be aware of the different types of malware that exist. Viruses are probablyRead MoreA Brief Note On Track Cellphone Usage And Moral Agents1721 Words   |  7 Pagesthen removed from the discussion entirely. What is at stake? The things to consider that are at stake from this scenario are, the company’s reputation, financial longevity and the privacy of the children. If this application turns to be a piece of software that is very controversial in society then not only will the company’s reputation get tarnished, but the value of the company will also decrease. This would causes a chain reaction, since the company would get a lot of bad reputation then the currentRead MoreSpyware Essay2057 Words   |  9 PagesAnderson’s input. An ad for Spy-Wiper appeared on his laptop warning him that if he wanted to protect his laptop he had to sign up for the program that would clear his system of any rogue software. When Mr. Anderson arrived at work the following day he discovered that his office computers displayed similar messages from Spy-Wiper. Spy-Wiper was using coercion tactics to intimidate users into signing up for their software, holding the user’s computer hostage until they c omplied. Spy-Wiper created the threatRead MoreMy Internet Security Suite Application Essay552 Words   |  3 Pagesmany malicious software on the internet. It is important to have software that can block and remove this malicious software. The name of the software would be called iSecurity Suite. I would develop a mobile internet security suite application for iPad. I want to protect the iPad against viruses, spyware, and use a firewall to prevent other people from gaining access to your iPad. The first part of the application internet security suite is the anti-virus. This is an important software. It protectRead MoreMax Thielen Last year Target fell victim to a massive cyber attack that compromised data on700 Words   |  3 Pagesswiped through the machine (Smith). The hackers were able to steal vendor credentials from BMC Software, the company that developed the IT management software used by Target. The hackers used the account name â€Å"Best1_user† and password â€Å"BackupU$r† to access the machine. The â€Å"Best1_user† account name is restricted from logging in to the computer. It is actually an administrator account used by the software to do basic tasks (Smith). Through the administrator account access, the criminals were ableRead MoreThe Moral Of Moral Agents1630 Words   |  7 PagesThe children do have some possible choices to make regarding this supposed invasion of privacy with varying degrees of moral standing. They could look into using applications that mask their activity or employ the less moral route of removing the software entirely. Finally, the developer himself is in control of the entire scenario since it all hangs on his choice of going forward with the development of the application. After all, if he just refuses to take part in the project and takes the consequencesRead MoreReasons For The Cross Pollination900 Words   |  4 PagesThe term cross pollination may be used to best describe the sharing of theories, mathematical computations, algorithms, languages, hardware architecture, system software, applications software and tools between computer science and software engineering. Computer scientists utilize mathematics and theory to analyze if something works. Software engineers apply known rules in order to build and design things. Calude et al. (2008) quoted Vladimir Arnold in their research regarding proofs, â€Å"Proofs are toRead MoreIs The Virus A Virus?928 Words   |  4 Pagesvirus, by definition it is a â€Å"Software that is self-replicating and spreads like a biological virus.† (Easttom, 2013-2014) Theyâ₠¬â„¢re many forms of virus such as: Spyware which like its name spies on your behavior and sends this data to a remote computer. You also have Adware which like its name as well targets you for ads and different advertisements. You’re more harmful forms of viruses are Trojans which is a type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software (Kaspersky Lab, 1997-2015) TrojansRead MoreSecurity Of Computer And Internet Crimes1628 Words   |  7 Pagesamounts of computer crimes, but they usually fall into one of five major categories. They are sabotage or wreckage, theft of internet services, theft of data, software or hardware distribution of illegal materials and financial crimes. Sabotage or wreckage is a criminal activity that leads to partial or total destruction of the software or data contained on the computer. Most of these are done through virus writing that can damage both the hard drive and other programs within the computerRead MoreAutonomous Vehicles and Software Architectures Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesAutonomous Vehicles and Software Architectures Please respond to the following: * Autonomous vehicles utilize integrated imaging and vision systems, sensor systems, and control systems to â€Å"drive a car†. Determine what you believe are the top-five challenges of integrating these systems. Provide one example for each challenge and explain why you believe it is a challenge. * Explain whether you believe there is a difference between designing and developing software for distributed architectures