Spyware Infiltrates Austin

Spyware infections are on the rise in Austin, and software tools are not enough. Local company Aces Technology Services explains the risks and offers help.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) January 20, 2005 -- Spyware infects 80% of computers, according to a recent study by AOL and the NCSA, and Austin is feeling the pain. Home users and small businesses that cannot afford a full-time staff and the latest detection/elimination software are especially vulnerable. Spyware can cause damage ranging from minor annoyances (such as slowness and excessive pop-up ads) to major problems, like identity theft and password compromise. Even secret documents from major companies in Austin have been stolen and posted on the World Wide Web.

More than 50% of our calls are directly related to spyware", says Mr. David Waggoner, founder of Aces Technology Services, a local firm specializing in servicing home users and small businesses. This is a substantial increase in just the last few months." Mr Waggoner continued, Once infected, it can be very difficult to remove, since some of these programs overwrite critical Windows components to prevent removal. There is a great deal of 'free software out there that claims to fix all these problems, but most of it contains spyware itself, making it difficult for the beleaguered people that cant keep up with the latest tricks used by these criminals."

When asked about some of the damage spyware can cause, Mr. Waggoner explained Some of this software will redirect your web browser to certain sites, to pump up advertising revenue. Some of the worst will steal passwords or credit card information, and send it overseas to criminal rings that can rack up big bills, and force changes to credit card numbers, drivers licenses and other personal identification. Others will hijack an infected computer to send spam or attack their enemies, leaving the unsuspecting owner to take any repercussions."

We have not found any single software package that can detect and remove all threats," Mr. Waggoner continued. We use an arsenal of tools and system utilities with great results, so we are able to remove threats that anti-spyware programs often cant even detect."

For additional information contact: info@atsaustin.com

Aces Technology Services (www.atsaustin.com) is an Austin, TX firm that provides services to the home user and local business. Certified by Microsoft and Cisco to design networks and business systems, the Aces team has moved into serving home users directly, after more than 10 years experience with the Internet and related services.

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