You have no doubt heard of the term spyware. You might actually have it on your computer right now, without knowing it. A leading online research company found that 89% of computers connected to the Internet are infected with spyware. Spyware removal has become an industry on its own.
Most of the time spyware is installed on a person's computer without his knowledge or consent. Many of them are relatively harmless and are therefore called 'adware' rather than 'spyware'. Their sole purpose is to collect information about your surfing habits and then display advertisements to you - either by changing your browser's home page, or by using pop-ups.
If you suddenly experience pop-ups inexplicably appearing all over your computer screen, you should start to suspect a spyware/aware infection. Another tell-tale sign is when your computer becomes slower and slower - when you type something there is a lag before it appears on the screen.
If you regularly visit online gaming websites, adult sites or crack sites you are a prime target. So too if you make use of P2P file download sites. Innocent looking free wallpapers and screen savers might not be so innocent after all.
A lot of spyware is installed with your consent! When you sign up for many online email services (yes, including the big names), somewhere in the fine print is a short clause authorizing them to scan your emails and sell that information to advertisers. If you use one of these services and you discuss something with your friends via email, you might soon start receiving 'commercial email" about the subject.
A much more serious example of spyware is the so called keystroke logger. This small piece of software monitors every single keystroke on your computer and then sends that information to its owner. Does it sound ominous? Of course. Imagine if someone should install one of these on your computer and it sends your banking user name and password or your tax details to him.
Ordinary anti-virus tools do not pick up the majority of spyware and adware. This is because they work differently from the normal computer virus and often embed themselves in the computer's operating system. To remove spyware from your computer, do a search on Google for spyware removal tools. There are many programs you can download for free - beware, however, that the "spyware removal tool" is not actually a spyware installation tool. A good one that we have tested is Advanced System Care.
To do the scan, first disconnect from the Internet and close whatever browser windows might be open. Then start the scan. Should the program pick up spyware, it will generally first ask for your permission to remove it. If this would mean removing your favorite smiley - you have to decide whether you want a spyware free computer or one infected with spyware posing as a nice smiley.
Spyware removal is not something you should do one a year, or even once a month. If you knew how many websites were trying to install spyware or aware on your computer during a normal day's web surfing, you would actually do it on a daily basis. Once a week is the absolute minimum. - 30431
Most of the time spyware is installed on a person's computer without his knowledge or consent. Many of them are relatively harmless and are therefore called 'adware' rather than 'spyware'. Their sole purpose is to collect information about your surfing habits and then display advertisements to you - either by changing your browser's home page, or by using pop-ups.
If you suddenly experience pop-ups inexplicably appearing all over your computer screen, you should start to suspect a spyware/aware infection. Another tell-tale sign is when your computer becomes slower and slower - when you type something there is a lag before it appears on the screen.
If you regularly visit online gaming websites, adult sites or crack sites you are a prime target. So too if you make use of P2P file download sites. Innocent looking free wallpapers and screen savers might not be so innocent after all.
A lot of spyware is installed with your consent! When you sign up for many online email services (yes, including the big names), somewhere in the fine print is a short clause authorizing them to scan your emails and sell that information to advertisers. If you use one of these services and you discuss something with your friends via email, you might soon start receiving 'commercial email" about the subject.
A much more serious example of spyware is the so called keystroke logger. This small piece of software monitors every single keystroke on your computer and then sends that information to its owner. Does it sound ominous? Of course. Imagine if someone should install one of these on your computer and it sends your banking user name and password or your tax details to him.
Ordinary anti-virus tools do not pick up the majority of spyware and adware. This is because they work differently from the normal computer virus and often embed themselves in the computer's operating system. To remove spyware from your computer, do a search on Google for spyware removal tools. There are many programs you can download for free - beware, however, that the "spyware removal tool" is not actually a spyware installation tool. A good one that we have tested is Advanced System Care.
To do the scan, first disconnect from the Internet and close whatever browser windows might be open. Then start the scan. Should the program pick up spyware, it will generally first ask for your permission to remove it. If this would mean removing your favorite smiley - you have to decide whether you want a spyware free computer or one infected with spyware posing as a nice smiley.
Spyware removal is not something you should do one a year, or even once a month. If you knew how many websites were trying to install spyware or aware on your computer during a normal day's web surfing, you would actually do it on a daily basis. Once a week is the absolute minimum. - 30431
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Want to keep your information and identity safe online? Spyware Removal is necessary to get harmful programs off of your computer. Learn about Spyware Removal Software today and protect your data.
