People buying packaged software should be aware, that may be getting more than they were hoping for, from the software being purchased. The added piece of bonus software bundled with their purchase may contain spyware. People get attracted by the bonus attached to software, which appears as getting more for the money, but in the case of a software purchase, does anyone want spyware, as a bonus? Of course, if people knew that the bonus included spyware, they would not want that bonus. However, it is almost impossible for a software buyer to know, if the bonus software contains spyware, which usually shows up only after it has been installed into a computer.

The installation of spyware into a computer may be part and parcel of the software received with the purchase. Spyware will monitor, all of the surfing activity, of the person using the computer, on which it has been installed. The monitored information is then transmitted via the internet, to the company that developed the software. The collected data is vital information, much needed and used by marketing companies or by marketing departments. Personal information is stored in databases and is often sold to third parties. The new software may infect the computer with dangerous spyware, which appeared as a useful bonus to the buyer. The bonus software packaged with the main program is known as software bundling.

Spyware makes use of a unique tracking number that is also unique to the particular computer and its user when installed. After installation of the software, it beings to transmit the users surfing activities. The information collected may include sites visited, product searches made or information sought by the user.

Spyware poses a great risk to computer users and can lead to identity theft, being bombarded by advertisements, a sluggish computer and even to financial losses, if personal information gets into the wrong hands.

Software buyers must read and understand all of the features of the software and pay particular attention to any free bonus software that may be packaged with the main software program being purchased. It is important to note that not all bonus software includes spyware.

It is recommended that a computer user have a program installed that can detect and remove spyware. A spyware scanner will show if any spyware exists in a computer and spyware if any, can then be removed. A free spyware scanner is available at http://www.DeleteSpyware.net

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About the author:

Julian Pereira enjoys the internet and has devoted his attention on computer privacy issues and spyware in particular. His website can be viewed at http://www.Deletespyware.net