Get that Spyware off My
PC!!
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 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.
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