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<h1>This Privacy Stuff is Really Bugging Me!</h1><p> <br /><br /> There is a nasty little privacy parasite loose on your computer.<br /><br /> You get it by visiting web sites with "bugs" on them. Typically<br /><br /> served by ad tracking, affiliate tracking and even email<br /><br /> tracking companies to measure the effectiveness of their ads,<br /><br /> track their visitors and find out when you open their email. Web<br /><br /> bugs are tiny, invisible 1 pixel by 1 pixel graphic files that<br /><br /> notify a third party web site when a page, an ad or an email is<br /><br /> viewed.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> Now if you've joined an affiliate program through any of the<br /><br /> major affiliate tracking companies, you have probably even put<br /><br /> these bugs on your own pages without knowing what you've done.<br /><br /> They come in the HTML code you are given to paste into your page<br /><br /> by Commission Junction or LinkShare or BeFree networks and<br /><br /> LinkExchange to track your visitors so you can be paid your<br /><br /> affiliate commissions. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> You'll see on the link code something like this <img<br /><br /> src="<a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/serve?bfmid=" target="bago">http://service.bfast.com/bfast/serve?bfmid=</a><br /><br /> 26375915&siteid=38461978&bfpage=ehi_home_page"<br /><br /> border="0" width="1" height="1" NOSAVE ><br /><br /> <br /><br /> This is actually the WebSite101 code for our affiliate link to<br /><br /> eHealthInsurance.com and is required by their affiliate program.<br /><br /> This is a "good" use of web bugs to track commission payments to<br /><br /> affiliates. It allows the host to track exactly what web page<br /><br /> was visited by the surfer and when so that affiliate links can<br /><br /> be tracked from their source. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> The "bad" bugs are those used by ad servers to track which<br /><br /> advertisements are viewed by surfers and combine it with other<br /><br /> information stored about that surfer at other web sites. There<br /><br /> are bugs included in HTML email -- those messages that include<br /><br /> graphics, fonts and page color in the messages -- to see when<br /><br /> the email was opened and can even tell where on your hard drive<br /><br /> that email is stored, when it was viewed, how long it was open<br /><br /> and if the links are clicked on. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> "Bad" bugs are used by nefarious sites to collect information<br /><br /> from your hard drive and pass it back to their server without<br /><br /> your knowledge. This is done in combination with cookies to send<br /><br /> information about your surfing habits to third parties, also<br /><br /> without your knowledge. For more about cookies visit:<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <a href="http://WebSite101.com/Privacy_issues.html#cookies" target="bago">http://WebSite101.com/Privacy_issues.html#cookies</a><br /><br /> <br /><br /> Some of these nasty little critters can even be used from web<br /><br /> pages or within your email to install "executable bugs," which<br /><br /> can install a file onto your hard drive to collect information<br /><br /> whenever you are online. For example, one such bug can scan a<br /><br /> hard drive to send information on every document that contains<br /><br /> the word "financial." <br /><br /> <br /><br /> More on Web Bugs . . .<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-5008849.html" target="bago">http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-5008849.html</a><br /><br /> <br /><br /> Fortunately there is a new software available for Windows users<br /><br /> called <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Bugnosis which is<br /><br /> provided as freeware by the <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Privacy<br /><br /> Foundation.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> The software is designed as a browser plug-in to notify you when<br /><br /> a page you visit is a security risk, or simply if the page<br /><br /> contains web bugs. They are working on a version that will<br /><br /> notify you of bugs in your email.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> Call the exterminator honey, we've got bugs in the PC!<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> More <a href="http://www.articlesroom.com">free articles</a> from <a href="http://www.articlesroom.com">http://www.articlesroom.com</a>