interesting Link to how spyware infects your computer

30 Dec

Who Profits from Security Holes?

http://www.benedelman.org/news/111804-1.html

How bad is this problem? How much junk can get installed on a user’s PC by merely visiting a single site? I set out to see for myself – by visiting a single web page taking advantage of a security hole (in an ordinary fresh copy of Windows XP), and by recording what programs that site caused to be installed on my PC. In the course of my testing, my test PC was brought to a virtual stand-still – with at least 16 distinct programs installed. I was not shown licenses or other installation prompts for any of these programs, and I certainly didn’t consent to their installation on my PC