Internet Security – How To Avoid Being Infected With Spyware
Spyware is more than just annoying – it can cause other programs to not work properly and can cause your computer to become quite unstable. Not to mention the privacy issues it brings up.
These pieces of software are generally installed on your computer without your knowledge or consent. They often can’t be removed without some kind of specialized software. If you need to be tricked into installing it, chances are you can’t trust the source.
The first line of defense against spyware is to be careful installing software. Know what’s being downloaded. A large percentage of freeware or shareware programs have spyware embedded in them. Sometimes that’s disclosed in the user agreement, but often not.
Check for a guarantee that the software is spyware free. This won’t protect you 100%, but it is a good step towards being able to trust a website.
What are the signs of a spyware infection? Odd pop-up advertising, a new homepage when you didn’t change it, new toolbars that you didn’t install or your computer is responding slowly or rebooting randomly all of a sudden, to name a few.
If you do get infected with spyware, there are ways to get rid of it. A number of companies make software designed to get rid of it. These programs will scan your computer and check through their database of known spyware for any matches. These databases get updated frequently as new forms of spyware are found.
Some of these programs are free while others will cost. The paid versions sometimes have additional features, such as automatic scheduled scans. None of them are 100% foolproof however, so it’s a good idea to run more than one of them.
Some types of spyware are exceptionally hard to get rid of. They can make changes to settings on your computer that help to “protect” the spyware from being removed. In some cases, you need to manually delete the files to get rid of them for sure.
This is obviously not something you should undertake unless you’re quite familiar with Windows and working with system files. You wouldn’t want to delete something that renders Windows inoperable.
Once your system is spyware free – help keep it that way. Some of the spyware removal tools include utilities that can protect your computer from being exposed to spyware. Much like virus scanners, they monitor changes to your system files and alert you of any suspicious activity.
Of course, you need to always be wary of anything you download. You never know when there is going to be a significant cost to that free software that looks so cool.
