Adware and Spyware

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Pop-up advertisements have been part of the web experience for years but if you see pop-ups when your are not browsing the web then your computer may have been hijacked by malicious software known as adware. There are many differences between adware and viruses but both can slow the performance of our computer and may cause serious problems.

Spyware refers to programs that install themselves without permission and monitor anything from browsing habits to passwords and even adware programs usually perform some kind of tracking for market research.

Some adware can be installed unintentionally along with other applications. Purveyors of adware exploit the assumption that most people will not read the fine print. File-sharing programs, some free games and utilities are notorious for installing aware.
Some adware and spyware can be installed without permission when you visit web sites. This code can hijack the web browsers and change the default home page while installing adware. The best way to prevent this is keeping your anti-virus software up-to-date and running weekly or daily scans. For more information and links to help prevent and find adware software go to: http://wiki.colgate.edu/itwiki/AcademicTechnology:STRG/PublicPage#Software_Tools

Free Virus Protection

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Many computers on campus or at home, with either no virus protection software or out-of-date software, are damaged by viruses or malware. You can reduce your risk significantly by updating your virus software at least weekly. Computers without update anti-virus software are not allowed on the Colgate network. We strongly recommend that you either purchase antivirus software or use Colgate University's antivirus software provided to you free for personal use.

For more information and to download the EPO agent (Colgate's free Antivirus software) go to the Colgate wiki.