If you've used the Internet for some time, you have likely heard of spyware. Many computers are infected with spyware, and it seems all but impossible to avoid. The good news is that spyware can be avoided and it can be removed.
Before we can defend ourselves against spyware, we must understand what it is.
Spyware is software that tracks your actions and reports them to someone. The information collected is often used to make a profile on your behavior. Many times these profiles are sold to third parties.
Many programs that are not technically spyware, are called spyware. Adware, browser hijackers, and malware are three such types of programs. We will discuss these three types in this article to keep everything simple, and because a typical spyware removal program can remove these types as well.
There are several different types of malicious programs that are grouped with spyware.
Spyware
Spyware is software that spies on your actions, and reports its findings back to someone else. Spyware is often installed along with "free" programs to give the developers money for their "free" offerings.
Adware
Adware often manifests itself through popups on websites that don't carry these types of ads. If you see popups on this site or popups on sites like Google, there's a strong possibility that you have Adware on your computer. Adware sometimes popups ads when you don't have a web browser window open.
Malware
Malware is the most malicious of these programs and usually causes some type of damage. These programs are different than viruses as they don't self replicate. More often than not, Malware is downloaded when you visit a site that is less than legitimate. It is very unlikely that you will find Malware on mainstream websites.
Browser Hijackers
If you load your web browser and find that your home page has been changed without your consent, you have a browser hijacker on your hands. You will likely have to run a spyware removal program because browser hijackers are very difficult to remove by hand.
Now that you have some idea about what exactly spyware is, you can likely identify if you have some sort of malicious program running amok on your computer. Some spyware programs are much less easy to detect so you will have to run scans often.
Running a spyware scan often and keeping the scanner updated can help prevent many of the headaches spyware causes. A spyware scanner works by searching for the tell-tale signs of spyware programs and then removing all traces of them.
Two spyware scanner programs I recommend are Lavasoft's AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy. These two programs, if kept updated, should be able to deal with most spyware infections.
One of the best ways to detect spyware is to keep a good firewall program running. I recommend Zone Alarm, it will alert you if a program is trying to access the Internet. If you see any program trying to connect to the Internet that looks suspicious, don't let it connect and run a spyware scan right away.
There are several steps you can take to avoid spyware. Here are a few good ones:
Read the terms of use
Spyware often arrives with popular 'free' software packages (example: Kazaa). Often you will be asked to accept their terms of use in order to use the program. The information about spyware will be buried deep within so keep an eye out for it. If you find anything about spyware or suspicious programs, don't install the program. Find a competitor's product that does not come with spyware.
Keep that browser up-to-date
Keeping Internet Explorer up-to-date is critical for avoiding spyware. Make sure you install the patches as they become available. Enabling Windows Update can be a good idea.
Secure Internet Explorer
Make sure that the browser settings are set at least to Medium for the Internet Zone and that the browser does not install ActiveX controls automatically. Firefox may be a good choice for a browsing platform at least until the next version of Internet Explorer comes out.
Most importantly, make sure that you have upgraded your Windows XP installation to Service Pack 2 as many new security features have been added with that update.
Don't open attachments
Many malicious programs spread through email, don't open any attachments unless you are expecting one. Even then, scan the attachment with a virus scanner.
There, now you have ammo to defend yourself against the onslaught of spyware attacks. If you have any further questions please post them in our forums and you will receive an answer quickly.
Spyware Guides
MyWebSearch