Parasiteware

What is parasiteware?

Parasiteware is software that can be downloaded from the Internet with or without someone knowing they are downloading the parasiteware. What the software does is alters an affiliate link from a website you may be visiting causing owner of the product or advertisement not to receive the commission they so deserved. The parasiteware can come in the form of a browser plug-in, toolbars, browser helpers and other forms of software that you download. The word parasiteware is derived from the words parasite and software. Like a real parasite, this freeloading software drains your computer quietly.

How is parasiteware different from Spyware?

Paresiteware is a combination keyloggers, Spyware, and browser hijackers. Not only can it gather information about the user to be sold to advertisers or third party companies. It can hijack your web browser, cause annoying pop-ups and ads, steal your passwords and credit card numbers. Parasiteware also has the ability to alter an affiliate link from a website you may be visiting allowing someone other then the intended owner of the original website from gaining a commission from advertising, or sales that may have occurred through your visit. Where Spyware's main intention is to gather information about your browsing habits to sell to advertisers.

Do you have parasiteware on your computer?

The following is a Brief list of some of the different types of parasiteware that may be found on your computer system.

Gator Gain – is network of advertisers that create pop-ups that may have included on a free download you may have done or it sometimes is installed by a drive-by download quietly while you were visiting a website.

BargainBuddy – is a common advertising spyware that is usually installed along with Limeware or Net2phone. Once installed BargainBuddy monitors the websites you visit looking for keywords stored in its list, if a match is found it will launch an advertisement related to that keyword. Every time you startup your computer when connected to the Internet BargainBuddy checks for updates to the list without you knowing about it.

Lop.com – is a browser hijacker that changes your start page, adds links to your bookmarks or favorites list and can alter your favorite search engine to Swish browser helper. Lop.com's installer changes your system registry causing your system to load lopdotcom every time you turn on your computer. What happens as a result of having this parasite on you computer, every time you miss type a url, perform a web search, or open a new browser window, lopdotcom will become their visitor.

SaveNow – is software that is downloaded from the Internet without you knowing about it that can secretly gather information about you. Once SaveNow has gathered your personal information it then sends that information on to advertisers or thieves without your permission.

Network Essentials – is an Internet Explorer Helper Object that is designed to monitor the URL's you are visiting during your Internet browsing. It stores a file in your Files\Network Essentials where pop-up ads are processed when directed by Browser Helper Object (BHO) daemon.

CoolWebSearch – is a parasite that is surpassing Lopdotcom as one of the most annoying parasiteware. It is a Trojan that hijacks your Internet Explorer and search engine settings directing your startpage and search engines to sites they have affiliate links with. CoolWebSearch uses custom style sheets that contain JavaScript which can then launch pop-ups while you're browsing the Internet.

Parasiteware is designed to compensate companies at the expense of your Internet browsing without your knowledge or permission, if you feel you might have some type of parasiteware on your computer or you want to check your computer system to see if any parasiteware is already installed then try our number one ranked product, Spy Sweeper that is designed to detect and destroy such items.

To see a side-by-side comparisons of all of the top Anti spyware programs. visit our spyware remover software reviews. To learn more about spyware and the harm it can do see our spyware information page.