Can Freeware have Spyware?
It costs nothing to download a freeware and hence it is downloaded by a number of people. Freeware is like any other software that can be downloaded from internet, but free. Every freeware is some kind of a utility providing some specific functionality to the user. It is not a rocket science to install the freeware. Simple read me files and user friendly installation wizards make it very easy to install them.
It is not uncommon to get a Spyware along with a freeware. You certainly get the freeware for free, but it can also come with a troublesome package with it. Downloading freeware with no recognition or authentication is a risky proposition. Spyware is very dangerous software to have in your PC. It is known to broadcast your important data to remote locations. You may end up sharing your passwords and other information with unknown people. It is therefore a very important thing to be careful before downloading any freeware. Following are some of the points that you must take into account before downloading and installing any freeware.
Your first aim must be to gather information about the company that has developed the freeware. Only if the company is reputed and reliable should you think about downloading it. Try and gauge the track record and image of the company. A well reputed company is guaranteed to provide you authentic freeware.
You must do a rigorous research on the freeware product that you look to download. Many people must have shared their experiences on forums, blogs and other communities, about this freeware. This information would give you a lot of idea about the credibility and performance of the freeware. You must collect a lot of information and not get carried away by just one positive review. Only once you are satisfied with the review should you download it.
One of the finest ways to check the credibility of the freeware is to check if it is listed on any of the reputed software download websites. No reputed website would list a freeware that contains any Spyware. Once you have assured that the freeware is listed in the list, you can download and install it. However, in case you do not find it listed on any of the reputed websites, you must not download it until you have verified it further.
Another important thing to do is to read the terms and conditions page very carefully. This page can give you a fair idea about the manufacturer and its credibility. Although one can not take these pages for granted, they can still give you a reasonable idea about the company.
In case you have decided to download the freeware onto your computer, make sure that you have a reliable anti Spyware installed on your system. The anti Spyware program can come to your rescue, just in case you have downloaded Spyware. You also need to make sure that you have a latest copy of anti Spyware installed. You could also install updates for your Spyware. An older version may not be able to identify a new Spyware.
On the whole, there is no harm installing a freeware if you can be careful doing it. Be smart enough to download only authentic freeware and you will always be on the safer side.
Tags: Adware
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