About Spyware

If you use a PC, and most people do, you've heard of spyware. Spyware is software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge and without your informed consent.  This software can change the configuration of your PC, and interfere with your computer's performance.  Some types of spyware will redirect your web browser to different pages, while some install additional software.  Some spyware collects personal information about you.  Scary, huh?    Not only is spyware intrusive, it eventually gums up the works of your computer to the point that your PC runs very poorly.

Spyware can end up on your PC in a number of ways.  One way is by being covertly installed by piggybacking with software that you may be using, such a music download programs. Another way you can end up with spyware is by being tricked into downloading false security or other types of unneeded software.  Ever seen those pop-ups that look official telling you "Your computer is infected by spyware.  Click here to run scan.” or something to that effect?  These pop-ups look very official, but may not be.  Often whether you click "yes" or "no", they will immediately start to download their wares onto your PC.

Common symptoms of spyware infection are unwanted pop-ups, high disk usage, high network traffic and generally odd behavior of your PC.  Sometimes, the spyware infection is not noticeable, other than the computer seems to be running particularly slow.  It usually takes several infections to make your computer really act up, so you may not notice problems until you have a fairly large amount of spyware.

How can you avoid spyware?  You're best bet is to be very careful about where you surf, what programs you download and use from the internet, and be sure to read all the disclosures that are presented to you when you prepare to download anything.  Be very cautious about anything that doesn't seem right.

If you think you have spyware, there are several things you can do to help yourself, provided the infection isn't too far out of hand.  First, make sure you have at least one good anti-spyware program installed on your PC.  There are programs out there such as Spybot and Ad-Aware that can be downloaded from the internet and are quite effective.  You can install your anti-spyware programs, and then run them to free your system of spyware.  Assuming that your PC hasn't been so compromised that the anti-spyware programs can run unimpeded, this will probably take care of the problem.  If your computer is overwhelmed with spyware and the configurations have been changed such that you cannot remove the spyware yourself, your only course of action may be to reinstall the operating system.  This action should only be taken by a professional, and only after you have properly backed up your data.

Spyware can be a very serious problem for your computer.  Your best line of defense is using a good anti-spyware program and keeping it up to date, and being diligent regarding your surfing habits or the habits of other who may use your computer.

Posted:Tuesday, August 21, 2007