Adware? Spyware? Are your internet activities being monitored?
It may surprise you to know that the majority of all personal computers have spyware or adware programs running silently behind the scenes without the owner’s knowledge. These software programs are designed to track your usage of the internet for various reasons some of which are comparatively benign and others blatantly criminal. The information on the sites you visit and sometimes even the keystrokes you make are then sent to a third party for their own personal reasons. The risk to personal and financial security posed by these malware programs is significant. The question therefore is how can we use the internet without being tracked?
The answer lies in installing a dedicated anti-spyware and adware software program. Although some anti-virus software programs will detect certain tracking software, they are not designed to detect the majority. To protect your computer from future attacks and to remove any currently installed spyware and adware codes you need to install anti-spyware software. However, this is easier said than done since there is a very real risk of downloading malware with free anti-spyware software. Consequently, as with all important decisions you will need to take a little time to research your options and if possible listen to personal recommendations from other users.
If your computer is running painfully slow, if your home page changes or something else unexpectedly alters and you find that it is not infected with a virus, you should consider the possibility that spyware is installed on your computer. Another indication that your computer is infected with tracking software is if you start getting spam relating to topics you have been searching on or emailing to others about.
If you download music, videos or games you are particularly at risk of having spyware surreptitiously downloaded onto your hard drive. A lot of spyware is just plain annoying, but some of it is very threatening and it is important to protect yourself and your information from fraud and thieves. It can also cause you to lose very important information because it can use up all your computer’s resources, slow it right down and cause your system to crash. You also need to be aware that some spyware is sophisticated enough to read documents you have stored on your hard drive. Once you hook up to the internet your computer can be an open book to whoever wants to read it if they have the technology to install their spyware onto your computer.
So, if you haven’t already installed anti-spyware software onto your computer don’t leave it any longer. Take a little time to research the options available to you and then make a decision. The sooner you clean the spyware off your computer and protect it from future infiltrations, the safer you will be.
