Computer privacy risks

The first computer privacy risk that I’ll write about are pop-ups. Pop-up ads are          

forms of online advertising. These ads open automatically and often try to convince

you to give away personal information. The way these ads access your computer is by

using java script applications that open a new browser window. Pop ups are generally

not a severe hazard unless you give away your personal info to the pop-up. The main goal

of pop-up ad is to retrieve your personal information by offering free software or programs.

The second computer privacy risk I’ll cover is Adware. Adware are the advertisements

Which appear in pop-up windows and banners. Clicks on the ad produce monetary pay

offs for the software producers. The Adware will access your computer by regular web

surfing. If a user were to download a peer to peer file, the file could contain Adware and

infect your computer. The ads begin to show up after the program files are loaded onto your

system. The adware poses a severe risk if it is malicious, credit card numbers and passwords

could be transmitted to someone who has the intent to steal from others. Adware tries to

accomplish stealing your personal info such as what I just listed above.

The third and final computer privacy risk to cover is Spyware. This is a program that

attaches itself to your operating system. Spyware can suck the life out of your computers

processing power. Spyware accesses your computer by clicking on pop-up windows, installing

a software package, or agreeing to add functionality to your web browser. The goal of spyware

is to track your internet habits, nag you with sales offers, and generate traffic for their host

website. The severity of spyware is usually not extreme and generally will just slow down the

processing power of your computer.

 Source for Spyware-

 Coustan, Dave.  "How Spyware Works"  16 February 2005.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/spyware.htm>  25 April 2014.

 Source for Adware-

Strickland, Jonathan.  "10 Worst Computer Viruses of All Time"  26 August 2008.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/worst-computer-viruses.htm>  25 April 2014.

 Source for Pop-ups-

Strickland, Jonathan.  "How Pop-up Blockers Work"  13 September 2007.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/pop-up-blocker.htm>  25 April 2014.