Drive by Downloads

A drive-by download is a program that is automatically downloaded to your computer, often without your consent or even your knowledge. Unlike a pop-up download, which asks for assent (albeit in a calculated manner likely to lead to a “yes”), a drive-by download is carried out invisibly to the user, it can be initiated by simply visiting a Web site or viewing a HTML e-mail message. Frequently, a drive-by download is installed along with another application. For example, a file sharing program might include downloads for a spyware program that tracks and reports user information for targeted marketing purposes, and an adware program that generates pop-up advertisements using that information. If your computer’s security settings are lax, it may be possible for drive-by downloads to occur without any action on your part.

These programs can also replace the user's home page, change browser settings, and use redirection to take all searches to the another Web site. Many of these programs are extremely difficult to actually uninstall or remove from your computer, even for technical experts

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