So, What IS Spyware?

You’ve heard all kinds of terrible things about it, but just what IS it – and how does it get on your computer in the first place?

Spyware is a real pain in the arse, to put it bluntly. It bogs down your computer’s memory, causes you to be spammed to death with pop-up ads, and tracks everywhere you go while you surf the web! Worst of all, 99% of all spyware downloads itself to your computer without your knowledge – or your consent.

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Can they do that? Yes, unfortunately, they can – but you don’t have to sit back while your computer is destroyed with malicious software. Spyware scanners and removal programs are a must on any computer that gets online.

But, first, let’s talk a little more about spyware – and what it truly is.

Broadbandinfo.com makes things a little clearer:

Sort of scary, isn’t it? There are two main ways to “get” spyware:

Short of never downloading anything, or ceasing to be infected again – your only real option is to arm yourself with spyware protection software. Many “antispyware” programs abound, and while they work well – not everyone will feel right about it.

Spyware can be likened to a real pain in the behind. It bogs down your computer’s memory, causes you to be spammed countless times, and tracks everywhere you go while you surf the web.

That’s just one example, of the many ways spyware can ruin your day. For mommies and pops, this can be worse. Spyware can be responsible for hosting or downloading all kinds of pornography, viruses, and the worst kinds of computer fraud. In other words, spyware can be THE most dangerous thing that you can have on your computer.

That’s why I must insist that you attack this problem aggressively. Today. An entire industry has been built around stopping spyware, and if you don’t take the proper steps to protect yourself today, you’ll be sorry tomorrow.

Just how much spyware is too much spyware? Well, a good guess is that somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 percent of your computer is affected by spyware – basically, anyone who uses your computer must have at least some spyware on their system, if not more.

That’s right. One study found that 9 out of 10 computers with keyloggers or other forms of secret software were infected with spyware. Keyloggers are files that hide on your computer – they can be hidden on your hard drive, or they can be on the Internet, where they can be downloaded by anyone.

Secret software that flies in from the Internet or the hard drive is dangerous spyware, and it’s everywhere. The only way you can be sure that you aren’t infected is to run a spyware removal program.

But not all spyware removal programs are created equal. But, let’s look at that list again, and remember that not all spyware removal software is created equal.

The Destroyers

There are a number of programs that determine if your computer is infected or not. These are the blackhat, or hacker, programs. If they find anything suspicious, they will remove the threat with no further complications if they can.

The Favorites

As usual, the list of top 10 favorite removal tools is a close second. These are the programs that provide the easiest procedures and the best results for normal users.

McAfee – For normal users, this company’s anti-malware software, offers the best choice of anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection.

MalwareBytes – If you are a bit of a tech-savvy, you’ll love the free version of this software. It contains an anti-malware function, which is just not as good as the full version. However, for the free version, you do get a lot of protection, including a big spyware definition database.

The Detecters

Ad-Aware – If you spend any time online, you need a good detection tool. This software will scan your computer, and check for anything potentially dangerous.

Spybot Search & Destroy – This is a free program, is ideal for those who don’t have much experience with computers. It’s free, and scans your computer fast and ongoing.

X-Cleaner – If you need a free malware removal tool, this is it. It scans your computer and will detect all the adware, keyloggers, spyware and other malware lurking on your computer.

The Procedures

Following are the procedures required to remove the adware.

Disabling the Windows Update service. As mentioned above, some adware programs install a Windows Update link.

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So, What IS Spyware?
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