Ex-First Lady Hilliary Clinton Becomes A Target of Spyware Swindle
By Isaiah Henry
Even the former First Lady, who is accompanied around-the-clock by a detail of Secret Service Men, is not safe from dangerous malware. Hard to imagine, isn�t it? One would think Mrs. Clinton�s staff would be up on the latest computer technology and be able to avoid the annoying, destructive malware. It�s more than a bit scary, if the Senator from New York and her staff can�t avoid malware, how can the rest of us expect to?
How did this happen? According to spam expert, Mr. Doug Bower of Symantec the malware was widely distributed through an email entitled �Hillary Clinton Full Video!!�. Because of the unsurpassed interest in the campaign and election this year, many unsuspecting folks eagerly opened the email to learn more about the presidential candidate. Instead of getting a peek at Senator Clinton, they got a load of trouble instead in the form of malware.
Many computer users don�t know what malware is; even the media uses the term incorrectly on a regular basis. Some describe malware as a computer virus, it isn�t. Malware is a computer program or code that was developed strictly to interfere with computers around the world. Malware interferes by many means; adware, spyware, Trojan horses, rootkits and viruses are all found in malware. Some malware installs viruses that completely delete the user�s files; often, this can go undiscovered for a short while. The most dangerous computer viruses will slow the computer down, shut-it down and/or cause irreparable damage.
Maybe understanding how that email was impacted will help computer users everywhere become more aware of malware and how to avoid it. Due to the huge interest in this year�s presidential race most people who received the email promising a �Hillary Video� opened it. They had no reason to suspect the email contained malware. By its very nature, malware operates �undercover�.
Once opened, users were asked to click on a link which resembled a link to a Google search page � so far, so good. This is precisely where the problems begin; when the link is activated the malware installs itself onto the operating system � it is not a link to Google at all. Once activated, the malware begins to weave its web of deceit quickly through adware, spyware, Trojan horses, rootkits and computer viruses. Users can be bombarded, in a matter of minutes, with pop-up-ads (many of them, appearing one after another) and copious emails.
Now in place, the malware scam is in full-swing. The computer owner will be inundated with massive amounts of unwanted spam, including pop-up ads by the dozen. At the very least, this bombardment will be irritating. At worst, the computer may be slowed down, shut-off or severely damaged.
Both Norton Internet Security and Spyware Doctors are popular, prevent malware and well worth the investment. Another way you can protect your computer and files is to exercise caution when opening and reading email. The best advice we can offer is to open ONLY email that you know to be safe � those emails that come from known sources.
About the author
At RemoveSpywareandAdware.com, we are proud to have Isaiah Henry as an expert on how to antispyware software or without any software. Discuss and ask questions on any of your PC security concerns on theSpyware Forum. from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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