What is spyware?
Spyware is the most devious and malicious software, a type of malware, that is installed in your devices without your knowledge. It invades and steals all sensitive information and monitors your actions without your permission.
As we grapple to envision the future, we are more focused on scale and speed-to-market than on the safety and security posture. With organizations expanding and using numerous applications, and thriving to establish digital footprints, do you really know how safe your systems and assets are? What if we said, your data is being recorded and utilized without your consent? And what if we said someone’s stalking you all the time? And no wonder your phone or your systems has slowed down extremely and lag oftentimes!
Because there’s someone spying on you and your devices all the time, sneaking into your personal spaces, tracking your physical locations, secretly monitoring your activities on the internet, and waiting to steal your confidential credentials such as bank account number, email details, passwords, photos, videos, and all other assets.
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What does Spyware do?
- Invades and infiltrates your device without your permission
- Captures your data and manipulates it
- Uses the data for malicious purpose or sells it to a third-party
What happens when spyware infects your devices?
- Slow performance
- Fluctuating internet connection
- Frequent application freezing
- Crashing systems
- Repeated Pop-up even when the internet is turned off
- New applications/plugins/toolbars/search engines installed without your knowledge
- Low battery life in your device and low disk storage
When they infect your devices, it significantly reduces the network connection and the processor’s speed. And if it’s in your phone, it drains off the battery too soon and reduces data usage. When you come across these signs, then they are signaling you to take necessary steps to address and the issue and combat it ASAP.
For that, you need to understand how they get into your devices in the first place.
But how do these Spywares make a way into your systems?
- By clicking on the spam links
- By visiting unauthorized websites
- Downloading attachments from unknown sources
- Opening phishing emails
- Accepting the pop-up ads and navigating to other pages
- Installing applications from spammy websites
Whether you have a PC, Tablet, Android smartphone, or an IOS phone, you will still fall prey and become a home for these harmful spywares. They make their way through phishing attacks, app installations, malicious websites, and dodgy downloads by stealthily attaching to the Operating systems of your devices.
Spyware and its types
It is not the same spyware that stalks your phone and your system. There are different types of spyware that work specifically to monitor and fetch information. For instance, there are some spywares that only track your web browsing behavior to pass the information to the advertisers. Some capture your geographical location and your contact details. And there are the most criminal ones that focus on data theft and fetch all your confidential info and passwords.
Let’s explore them and know more about the types of spyware
Adware
This comes bundled with free software installations and downloads of attachments from an unauthorized source. Cookies that record Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and your web browsing behavior are only for contextual marketing campaigns and targeting relevant advertisements based on the browsing habit. They are not always malicious.
Keyboard Loggers
To steal PII, cybercriminals use keyloggers that are nothing but a type of system monitor for getting login credentials, search history, passwords, and other confidential information. The computer activity is captured using the keyboard inputs. Hardware keyloggers look like USBs acting as connectors between the computer and the keyboard. At the same time, the software keyloggers are installed or downloaded in the computers intentionally and executed using remote access too.
Trojans
They are malware programs pretending as legitimate and authorized software. Typically, they modify the web pages and take advantage of the browser security lapses. They also try to spoof your bank website and persuade you to make transactions using the fake website. Once they get access to the computer, they might delete files, encrypt files, or infect them with other malicious actors.
Mobile Spyware
This is more dangerous as you don’t perform any specific action but still become a victim. Wondering how? It gets transferred through MMS and SMS. And when you don’t interact, reply, or click on any link, the commands are already executed making your camera, microphone, call logs, contacts list, photos, and GPS monitored. There are video and sound recording Spywares that fetches access to recording your conversations and passing it to a third party.
How to avoid spyware and protect yourself?
Avoiding spyware completely may not be possible but there are some things you should avoid to fall prey to these malicious attacks. Following the tips will not only help you to stay away from spyware but will also protect your devices from any kind of threats and attacks.
Preventive measure for securing the systems – Protection from Spyware
- Update your operating system and keep a check on the updates regularly.
- Use strong passwords for all your devices and applications
- Have robust anti-virus and anti-malware software protection on your devices
- Avoid using unsecured Wi-Fi and use VPN to protect the network
- Avoid opening any spam SMS and do not click on any unknown links and attachments in your email
- Restrict admin access to your devices and carefully provide permissions while installing apps
The closing thoughts!
According to statistics, around 80% of the users on the internet are affected by Spyware and 93% is present in each computer or other device. Out of these, 89% of the users do not know of the spyware existence in their devices.
If this isn’t alarming for you, we don’t know what else would be! Protect your personal information and make no compromise when it comes to security.
