byteknights

Downloader BEWARE!!

Have you ever downloaded and installed a cool little program which at first glance promises to be the best? Being so happy with our cool find we so often don't stop to read the fine print and after installation has finished we find pop ups or ads appearing on every web page, our homepage has been changed and we can't seem to reset it to our original settings. This is called bundling, where an open source(freeware) developer of software is paid by marketing companies to deliver their own software bundled up in the freeware. More often than not if you take the time to read each step of the installation process this can be avoided as simply as clicking Decline or Do Not Agree to a second license screen.

Taking a few seconds to read a few lines of text at the time of an installation could save you hours of aggravation later. Downloader Beware.

Malware Vs Spyware Vs Ransomware

"Malware" is short for malicious software and used as a single term to refer to virus, spy ware, worm etc. Malware is designed to cause damage to a stand alone computer or a networked PC. So wherever a malware term is used it means a program which is designed to damage your computer it may be a virus, worm or Trojan.

"Spyware" is software that aims to gather information about a person or organization without their knowledge and that may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or that asserts control over a computer without the consumer's knowledge.

"Ransomware" is a type of malware that prevents or limits users from accessing their system. This type of malware forces its victims to pay the ransom through certain online payment methods in order to grant access to their systems, or to get their data back. Some ransomware encrypts files (called Cryptolocker).