Q. What is Spyware?
A. Spyware is a program that is put on a computer to secretly gather information about the user.

Q. Who gets the information gathered by Spyware?
A. Typically, advertisers are the main recipients of information gathered by Spyware. In addition, other interested parties may be gathering information via Spyware.

Q. What kind of information does Spyware gather?
A. Spyware may record a history of visited websites, search terms used in a search engine, or even shopping habits.

Q. What do advertisers do with this information?
A. Advertisers use information gathered from Spyware to determine a users Internet browsing preferences. They can then generate pop-ups, change the users homepage, and even redirect the users Internet traffic based on those preferences.

Q. Is Spyware illegal?
A. Even though the name may indicate so, Spyware is not an illegal type of software.

Q. How does Spyware end up on my computer?
A. There are several different ways Spyware may be installed on your computer.
· Some websites will require you (in order to download or access content) to install a plug-in, script, or cookie, or to install a stand-alone program. These programs can potentially contain Spyware that will be installed along with the intended program.
· Spyware can be installed when installing file sharing (or P2P) software clients.
· Downloading free programs called “freeware” or “shareware” can also introduce Spyware to your computer.

Q. What are some P2P programs?
A. eMule, iMesh, FolderShare, Overnet, Grookster, KaZaA, Direct Connect, FileShare, WinMX, XoloX, MyNapster, Morpheus, Audiogalaxy, Lime Wire, BearShare, Gnutella, and eDonkey. Please note: Not all of these programs will contain Spyware, but Knology does not recommend using P2P software.

Q. Is Spyware ever called anything else?
A. Spyware may also be referred to as Adware. Adware is also a separate program that is installed at the same time as another program. It will usually continue to generate advertising even when the user is not running the originally desired program. While the two are very similar, not all Adware is considered Spyware, as some Adware will not track the user’s Internet habits and report it to and advertising company. Spyware is also considered more malicious than Adware.

Q. Can I remove Spyware from my computer?
A. Yes. There are free, reputable software utilities available to remove Spyware.
· “Ad-aware” (http://www.lavasoftusa.com) is a very user-friendly Spyware and Adware removal utility. Once it is downloaded and installed it works similar to an Antivirus scanning utility.
· “Spybot” (http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10122137.html) is a very thorough utility that can detect and remove a multitude of Adware files and modules from your computer as well as clean program and web usage tracks.

Q. Are there any Spyware resources available online?
A. For additional information on Spyware, please visit http://www.spychecker.com.