What Is Spyware?

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What Is Spyware?

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The question of "what is spyware" is one that many people ponder over. Spyware is a term given to software that can install itself on your computer and spy on you in a number of ways. It ranges from the simply annoying to the downright dangerous. Generally speaking there is no good kind of spyware.

Asking, what is spyware is really too broad a question. It's better to ask, what kind of spyware I should be really worried about. The answer is every kind.

Spyware can get installed on your computer when you install some programs that are not as trustworthy as they should be; usually free software. You won't notice the spyware being installed as it won't show up in the All Programs menu. You may find spyware in the Control Panel's Add Remove Programs window, but don't count on it. Spyware like to stay hidden.

There's a good reason why it doesn't like to advertise the fact that it has been installed on your computer: it likes to spy on you! It can be something as apparently innocent as detecting your Internet browsing activities to use as shopping research, or it can be much more sinister.

Spyware can detect all kinds of personal information about you and pass it on whenever you are online. This information is usually supposed to be used for research purposes, but it is excellent for identity theft purposes too, if it falls into the wrong hands as it so often does. You should never consider any kind of spyware harmless, even if it is acting that way, as it often has the potential to ruin your life!

Now that you know the answer to the question of what is spyware, what should you do about it if you have spyware on your computer? Get rid of it as fast as you can! That's what you need to do.

There are many excellent programs designed for the detection and removal of spyware. Be careful though, some spyware actually comes disguised as spyware removal tools! Choose a program, or several programs, that are known and recommended by someone you trust. Many of the better ones are actually available free.

Once you have installed the spyware removal programs, let them scan the entire computer system. This takes time, but it is part of the clean up. Once the scan is over the program will highlight any spyware that exists on your system. Get rid of it! Then you should reboot the system and scan again. Sometimes a program will miss spyware, but pick it up another time. Keep rebooting and scanning until the computer is clean.

Do the exact same thing with at least one other spyware detection and removal program. Spyware is getting smarter all the time and not every program will detect every spyware instance. What one might miss another will detect, so use several different detection programs for the best protection.

Don't rest on your laurels after you have successfully cleaned your computer of all the spyware. Do a scan of the system at least every week. You will probably find more spyware. By now you will no longer be asking, what is spyware; you'll most likely be wondering instead, where does it all comes from!

Slow Computer Problems Tip #1

Check your internet cache. Not only does every single page you look at on the internet get stored into a history folder in the depths of your computer, but every single part of those pages gets saved as a separate file in what is known as the cache folder. Yes, every single tiny graphic gets stored in its own file. That green dot that repeats twelve times as an illustration of bullet points? Twelve separate gif files in your cache. Make sure you clean out the cache often.

Slow Computer Problems Tip #2

Ad ware is the devil. Ad ware can be attached to your computer by any number of sites (though it is most famously used by sites of an "adult" nature). This ad ware keeps track of where you go online like a cookie does, but ad ware is typically a covert program that slows down the computer to make it easier to track where you go. Run a spy ware or ad aware program on a regular basis to keep these programs and files at bay.

Slow Computer Problems Tip #3

Defragment your hard drive regularly. Sometimes parts of your files get corrupted. The more files that are corrupted or "fragmented," the more slowly your computer will run. A defragmentation of your hard drive should be done on a regular basis. It is a long process, so the defragmenting program is best run overnight.