Viruses and worms a largely misunderstood aspect of computer security is spyware. I get contacted by friends, family and others telling me that their computers are slower than they used to be or exhibit some other form of weird behaviour. Now while some of these problems I hear may be a result of any one of a number of issues it is fairly frequently the result of spyware that they have become infected with by any one of a number of mechanisms.

Let us first define what spyware actually is before we move on to how you can not be a victim. Spyware, also known as "adware", is a category of software that, when installed on a computer, can generate pop-up ads, redirect a browser to a given web sites, or monitor the web sites that the victim visits. In some extremely rare cases spyware can even track the keys that one types. The person who caused the infection may be doing so for any number of reasons which are generally considered to be malicious


Spyware is basically a type of program that gathers information about you without your knowledge. This information may be distributed to many sources or just a single source.

Spyware programs can be extremely annoying and can wreak havoc on your system. They can cause slow downs, lockups, and all sorts of other problems.

The bad news is there are hundreds of these types of programs out there. Some common spyware programs include: Hotbar, Comet Cursor, Xupiter, Gator, Offer Companion and BonziBuddy.

Before downloading any "free" program from the internet, be sure to read the licensing agreement. did you know that Increadimail is technically adware? How about RealOne Player—it puts"data mining" software on your system to "track preferences" and report back to the mothership. Even free CD games from a cereal box or fast food kid's meal can put "adware" (often called "foistware") on your system.

ow, what to do about it. There are two great programs out there: Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware . Spybot is very thorough, but it often lists files that aren't spyware making it more likely that you accidentally delete something you need. Ad-Aware is the easiest to use and my personal favorite.

Stopping spyware and adware is not a difficult task if people just simply take the time to be careful. To make it even easier, however, I have created a simple 3 step guideline to stop spyware and adware from infesting and slowing down your computer. Following these 3 simple steps will greatly improve your internet experience and all in all will make your computer very happy.

Spyware is becoming more and more of a problem. When I visit a customers site and inspect the computers I always find some kind of spyware on the system.I know that many people have been unaware of spyware, but hopefully now that the word is spreading that people will be more aware of the problem and setup a good defense.

I get a get calls or questions to the effect of "Why is my computer running so slow? I just bought the computer recently". Most of the time this is because of spyware. Spyware programs will load on boot up and take up your computer memory that will reduce your performance. I will go over my typical setup to prevent and battle spyware. This system works if all of the current spyware has been removed properly. I will leave that to another article.

Spyware is loaded on a computer over the Internet without the user knowing. It is loaded in the background through holes in a user's computer setup. Internet Explorer has been very vulnerable to spyware and is a major reason why so many people are getting infected. Spyware ranges from more benign programs to more extreme programs that will hijack your browser's startup page or cause pop ups to occur relentlessly. The following is the defense system that I use, and I strongly suggest that you use.

1. Download and install all of the latest updates to your software. Once a week you should be checking for software updates to install. This will help protect you against the latest threats.

2. Use a firewall. Many people have a direct connection the Internet and do not setup and run a personal firewall. This can potentially be very dangerous. Firewalls should be running for protection against many potential problems including hackers, spyware, and data protection. Windows XP has a built in firewall. Make sure you have updated your system to Service Pack 2 (SP2) if you have Windows XP. Microsoft has added many security features and fixed bugs in this update and should be updated as soon as possible.