If you have a computer connected to the internet, you’re sure to have heard all about viruses and the problems they cause.  But there are other threats to be wary of; ones that you may not even be aware are lurking on your computer.  One of these is spyware.  Basically, spyware is advertising software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge or consent.  It’s also known as adware.

It can be difficult to recognize spyware, simply because not all spyware operates the same way.  Generally, the first sign that your computer may be infected with spyware is ‘popup’ advertisements that start occurring on your computer, whether you’re on the web or not.  These are certainly very annoying, but they may only be the tip of the iceberg.  Spyware can also slow your computer right down, put in extra toolbars you don’t want on your browser, change your home page, and even worse, cause lock-ups or crashes that result in lost data.

Before you can remove spyware from your computer, you have to find out whether there’s any installed on it.  It’s extremely likely that you do.  America Online and the National Cyber-Security Alliance conducted a study in 2004, and in the results the estimate was that 80% of computers have had spyware installed on them, and 90% of the owners didn’t even know it was there.

There’s no need to panic though, there are plenty of good spyware removal programs available.   These programs scan your computer and search for the common footprints of spyware.  If the program finds evidence of spyware, it is generally also able to remove it.

There are spyware removal programs available today that are free of charge, such as SpyBot and AdAware.  It’s always essential that you keep your spyware removal program up to date, because spyware is constantly evolving into new versions.  If you search, you’ll also find various spyware programs that will scan your computer for free, but then request payment before they go ahead and clean out the detected spyware.  This is okay, but doesn’t seem necessary when there are good spyware removal programs that are free.

Remember, though, that removing spyware isn’t always easy, and as the spyware changes and evolves, there may well be a lag time before the removal programs catch up.  It can be a good idea to run more than one spyware removal program on your computer, as it’s possible they each will detect different things.  As good as they are, sometimes the spyware removal programs encounter spyware that’s particularly malicious and hard to remove, and they won’t be able to clean it properly.  If you’re reasonably technical, you can possibly find information on how to clean the spyware in technical forums on the internet.  If you’re not, you will probably need to have your computer cleaned by a professional.