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.
There is another side to the story as well. If you are not careful about the authenticity and credibility of the freeware, it could download Spyware with it. There is nothing worse to having a Spyware on your computer. A Spyware can leak all your important information to the web. It is therefore recommended that you take good amount of care before downloading and installing any available freeware. Below are listed some of the very good tips to stay away from this dangerous software.
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.
It is also very imperative for you to research about the freeware you wish to download. You must search for the reviews about the freeware. Check what the people have to say about the freeware. These are practical experiences and a great feedback for you. However, do not come to conclusions too soon by reading through just one or two good reviews. Try and read through as many reviews as possible and only then come to a final conclusion.
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.
Do not skip the terms and conditions page, but read it carefully. You might get a significant amount of clue about the authenticity of the company. You should however not completely depend on this tactic. After all, any page can easily be faked. There is no harm in reading through the page though.
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.