How Does Adware Hurt My Computer?

Today’s world has become so interconnected that using a computer is virtually synonymous with being online. Access to the internet puts a world of information and software at your fingertips and enables you to play games, share files, post pictures, download music and much more. With so much available, it is important to understand that you might be loading your computer with adware without knowing it.

In a typical scenario, you find a free software application – also known as freeware – that you would like to have and decide to download and install it. You authorize the download, electronically sign the licensing agreement and install the application. At the same time your new software is downloaded and installed, so is a program that will track the websites you visit, log the keys you type and possibly record other activities you perform on your computer whether you are online or off. This program will also display advertising on your computer targeting your interests based on the information it collects.

The licensing agreement likely explains how this secondary program, or adware, works and what information it collects. The adware manufacturer sponsors the freeware you downloaded so that the freeware manufacturer can earn a profit. In order to use the freeware, the adware must be installed and operational. Disabling or uninstalling the adware will cause the freeware to malfunction.

Adware is often harmless, but sometimes the adware you inadvertently download can also be malware. Malware is software designed to disrupt the use of your computer in some way. It can continuously run in the background, usually without your knowledge, using valuable computer resources such as processor speed and memory. Your first warning that you have an abundance of malicious software on your computer may be the deterioration of your computer’s performance. Malware can sometimes seek out personal information stored on your computer’s hard drive and use it to steal your identity.

If a program is designed to collect information other than your internet-browsing habits, it is sometimes called spyware. Eliminating spyware programs once they infect your computer can be difficult. Because their programming is not like a traditional computer virus, malicious code often cannot be removed using antivirus software unless the antivirus package also includes an anti-spyware application. Manually removing these intrusive programs is possible if you know what to look for, but these programs are usually hidden and do not appear in your computer's uninstall menu.

From a legal standpoint, it is important to understand that accessing personal information on a computer without the owner’s knowledge is against the law. However, software manufacturers are able to sidestep this law because of the licensing agreement released with the freeware. If the details of the adware program are included in the agreement and you click the OK button, you have consented to its installation.

Several bills have come before congress that address this issue, including the Spy Block Act, the SPY Act passed in 2004 and the I-SPY Act passed in 2005 and reintroduced in 2007. These bills make it illegal to hijack control of another person's computer, expose other users to pop-up ads that can't be closed, modify other users' personal settings or download personal information from another computer without the user's consent.

If you want to protect your computer, your personal files and your identity, it is important to know which programs you are running on your computer. Before you install new software, be sure to read the licensing agreement carefully so you know exactly how much information you are leaving exposed. There is a fine line between target-marketing software and malware that violates your internet security.

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