Terms that start with A

Adware is advertiser supported software that displays, plays or downloads advertisements either onto the computer desktop or into the computers web browser as a condition of the software installation. Most Adware is free to use as long as you don't mind annoying pop-up windows appearing at random intervals advertising some product or another. I have seen some Adware that opened a new window about every 1 to 2 minutes, making it nearly impossible to use the system at all until the software had to be removed.

Additionally, Adware will almost always be collecting data about your Internet habits and browsing behavior to tailor ads specifically to best match the data recovered.  In that respect it is actually very similar to many types of Spyware.  In most cases Adware is simply a way to place advertisements in the face of the user although it's a fine line before you could also classify it as Spyware.  With Adware however, you actually might be given a chance to review and choose whether or not to accept the terms and conditions associated with the software before installing it. IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO READ THE TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE CHOOSING TO ACCEPT.

Remember the basics:

• Do not install software you have downloaded from the Internet unless it has come from a known, reliable source.
• Be vary careful if you use any file sharing applications as these networks are known breeding grounds for infectious software.
• Do not open any email attachements from unknown sources.
• Use a good anti-virus/anti-spyware application and scan your system at least weekly.