Tag Archives: programs

Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting

With the growth in the web business, you would also find growth in the demand for good hosting companies. Shared hosting is one of the most popular web hosting available in the market. However, like all types of hosting shared hosting also has got its pros and cons.

The first point that goes in favor of shared hosting is that the price of shared hosting is much lower than dedicated server hosting and this is because here only a little portion of the server is used. Thus if you want to spend less money while starting your web business, then go for shared hosting service.

Another excellent point that is advantageous for shared hosting is the excellent technical support. It is one of the basic foundations for the shared hosting companies and all the companies using shared hosting guarantee their customers superb customer support.

Another positive aspect of shared hosting is that it comes loaded with features like PHP assistance and multiple e-mail. Also you do not need to know the server and hosting management if you choose this kind of hosting.

Along with pros there are cons of shared hosting too. One of the biggest drawbacks of shared hosting is that the level of security is not at all very high. This is because you have to share the web space with various types of websites and your neighbor can be a hacking site.

Another problem of shared hosting is there are limited resources. This is also a result of you using the server space with other users which would lead to restrictions in service. If the site has lots of traffic then it would inevitably be harmful to your site. In shared hosting you would also face the problem of not getting the permission of installing programs. This happens because the server is maintained by another company. You are not allowed or given the authority to download or run any program that you want to have in your server. However, you can find these programs easily in any of your neighbor website.

Still despite the problems shared hosting is the most preferred type of hosting among the website owners.

What is Adware?

The word Adware is short for Advertising-Supported Software. This term describes any software which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer, after the software has been installed on it.

It is usually included with other software which one can download from the Internet – especially software that you can download for “free”. The price you pay is having the adware installed on your computer. When you run the program that you downloaded for “free” from the Internet, it will usually automatically cause adds to pop up on your screen thereafter.

Adware software is integrated into, or combined with, another program. The person or company who is making the free program available is usually paid for including adware in his program. This is one of the ways that some programmers make a living or cover the cost of writing “free” programs.    

Sometimes Adware takes the form of spyware, keeping track of what you do on your computer, and which pages you visit on the web. This information is automatically sent over the Internet to the company which runs the adware. The data is then used in order to target you with specific advertisements, or is sometimes resold to other companies. This is can be done entirely without your knowledge. Should you, however, complain about this, you would most likely be referred to some fine print in the license agreement which you accepted when you installed the “free” program.

Some Adware can interfere with the functions of other programs running on your computer, in order to force you to visit a particular web site. If you find yourself being automatically sent to a certain website, you can be fairly certain that you have some form of adware running on your computer.

These days it can be hard to separate out “Adware” from “Spyware” and “Malware;” especially since many programs might do all of these things at the same time. For example, if you install “adware” knowingly or unknowingly on a computer, and agree to a tracking feature, the “adware” becomes “spyware” as it is now also keeping track of what you do and sending the information somewhere. If someone else visits or contacts your computer, this will also be recorded and his information is then passed on as well.

Some Adware is not classified as Spyware because, somewhere in the user agreement it says that “third-party software will be included that may collect and may report on computer use.” As the company has included this statement in the “Terms of Use,” it is now no longer Spyware but simply Adware, as they are not “secretly” collecting and tracking your information.

But really… how many people actually fully read the Terms of Use?

Another circumstance to take into account is the case when there are more than one person using the computer. In the case of a family computer, your kids might download a simple “free game,” and unaware of all the facts, automatically agree to have Adware installed. All you see is the kids playing a new game. You might even be happy as it didn’t cost you dime this time. However the “free game” is most likely not all that was downloaded.

A few names of well-known Adware programs are as follows:

  • 180 Solutions
  • 180SearchAssistant
  • Zango
  • Bonzi Buddy
  • BlockChecker
  • ClipGenie
  • Comet Cursor
  • Cydoor
  • Direct Revenue
  • Ebates MoneyMaker
  • ErrorSafe
  • Gator
  • Hotbar
  • Mirar Toolbar
  • Smiley Central
  • WeatherBug

This list is by no means complete and serves only to give some examples. There are also programs that detect and remove adware. These programs are designed specifically to detect spyware and adware. They and will not detect or remove viruses. Some of these products are available for free on the Internet. Anti-Adware or Anti-Spyware programs are not Antivirus programs. This is a different subject entirely. A virus is a malicious program which is spread from one computer to the other. It harms your computer, erases your data, keeps your system from running correctly, or does other damage.

A virus can also spy on you like spyware does – for example, by recording your credit card information and sending the data to someone else by email. But the terms adware or spyware usually refer to software which does only that – spies on you, sends you advertisements, and steals your data; with or without your consent. Most Anti-virus programs also detect Adware and Spyware. But if you are very active online it is a good idea to have several different anti-adware and anti-spyware programs installed. Different programs detect different types of spyware and adware. By scanning your computer with more than one program, you can do a more thorough clean-up.

Growing Need of Antivirus Programs

Antivirus programs are a part of effective computer maintenance. The available virus removal software are designed to detect any virus on your individual computer followed by removing it while protecting your machine simultaneously.

There are several ways a virus can attack your PC. It can be through downloads, installation of new software, or sending and receiving emails. This is why it is always suggested to scan everything you download, and update your antivirus software regularly.

As believed by the most, E-mail is not actually the virus breeding ground until and unless you have been sent a spam mail by anyone. Spam emails contain viruses as attachments — either rich-text e-mail or animation. Using efficient antivirus software, scan all attachments before you download. Never open attachments sent by unknown people.

Many email client programs like Yahoo mail and Microsoft Outlook offer security preferences to prevent email borne viruses from running the functionality of your computer. Other latest versions of Microsoft email clients contain much powerful features to keep spam at bay. In case, you don’t know how to adjust your email settings, you can get the task done using email support services available online. In addition, you can also avail PC optimization and protection services.

There are several antivirus programs coming as a combo pack with antispyware programs. They boast to provide complete protection for your computer against the virus and spy ware. However, this can also be a marketing stunt. Therefore, always consult with an expert or computer repair technician before buying or downloading such packs. The job of protecting the computer against malware is not easy and the task is not just limited to antivirus installation.

Computer protection services offer you active security products that you need to protect your computer. Such an array includes Reinstallation or uninstalling antivirus software, standard upgrade, running a virus scan, removal of threats found, subject to having access to said files and the capabilities of antivirus software.

The best part about such services that they are easily available online and generally provide the support 24/7. Computer protection services are advisable for continuous protection against harmful viruses or malware roaming in the cyberspace.