What is Spyware
When you think of spyware, James Bond and his bag of tricks or maybe even the “eye in the sky” of satellite spying comes to mind. It is difficult to imagine than an ordinary person, with an ordinary life and a run of the mill personal computer can be a victim of “spyware”. Who would spy on you? What can be so interesting on your PC that an outsider would invade your privacy? Well, guess what, it does happen.
How, you ask, can this happen to me? It can happen in any number of ways. The fact is, spyware lives all over the internet, hiding in obscure places. Would you think spyware could be hiding in free downloads of screensavers, weather alerts or news alerts? It could. Are you aware there is a type of spyware that changes settings on your computer; your home page could be changed, or your default media altered.? There is also a type of spyware that can be installed to gain information about your user habits, or even gather personal information about you. One type of spyware is a form that generates pop-up ads when you surf the net; and there is also a type that allows remote access or control of your computer.
Not every program or application you download for free from the internet includes spyware. A lot of legitimate programs and applications are available, and it is not fare to lump everyone as a spyware producing application. But, let’s face it, every time you download a free program or application from the web you take the chance of having spyware installed on your computer, whether you like it or not.
How, you ask, can you protect your pc from spyware? Well, here are just a few suggestions:
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Be sure to keep your antivirus and security patches up-to-date.
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Don’t think you have to click “no” or “cancel” on a pop-up ad to get rid of it. In Microsoft Windows, use the Ald+F4 option, or click the “x” in the corner.
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Most importantly, download programs from web sites you trust.
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Use available tools, such as Webroot’s Spy Sweeper to detect and delete adware, spyware and malware from your computer.
Webroot Spy Sweeper is an effective tool not only to clean spyware from your PC, but also to give you real time protection. It has won the Editor’s Choice Award from PC Magazine on sever occasions. Webroot Software company is a member of the Anti-Spyware Coalition )ASC), an industry group formed to identify tools and best practices to improve the effectiveness of anti-spyware technology.
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