Spyware is something you might have on your computer and not know about it. Spyware is a program that is installed on your computer either with or without your knowledge, and advertising companies use spyware to track what you do online. They can track what sites you visit, for one thing. Sometimes they add new toolbars to your Web browser, change your home page, or cause excessive pop-up ads to appear on your computer. Other times they can be more dangerous. Some spyware can steal your passwords, credit card numbers, or other forms of identification. Illegal Internet music download sites can
be culprits, as can unscrupulous businesses. Some examples include pornography sites and hacking sites. Besides being an invasion of your privacy, most of these programs are poorly written, causing your computer to act buggy or respond slowly.
If you think you might be infected because you’ve visited or downloaded software from a risky Web site, or if all of a sudden you are experiencing problems such as a change to your home page, you should have your system scanned. You can get a free scan from many Web sites on the Internet. In the past I've tried X-Cleaner Free, SpyHunter, and more recently, Windows Live OneCare. Make sure you know the company, or have at least read legitimate reviews of the spyware program before you commit.
If you have Windows Vista, you can use the built-in spyware program, Windows Defender. [See Image 1] Windows Defender watches out for your PC 24 hours a day, and offers a quick and easy way to scan for spyware, should you think you've been infected. Windows Defender has the option to perform a quick or full scan, set scanning options, join SpyNet (a spyware watch group and community), quarantine items, and more. [See Image 2]
I heartily suggest Windows Vista and Windows Defender, and along with Windows Firewall and the options and fee-based Windows Live OneCare. If you configure all of these to run using their default settings, you can stay safe and secure no matter what the threat.