Anti-Spyware - Should You Buy It?

What is spyware? Spyware falls into the category of malicious software; software that wants to do you some harm. As its name implies, after it installs itself on your computer, it is set up to spy on you. It really does more than just spy on you.

It will invade your privacy, collect personal information about you, and take control of your computer. For example, it may install other malicious software on your computer, or it may force your computer to harmful websites. It may send the data it collects from your computer (such as credit card numbers, user names, and passwords) over the internet to sites that are created by crooks. They will use the data to benefit themselves and to harm you. Restoring credit and resolving other issues after identity theft is not pleasant. Spyware has been known to disable anti-virus programs, opening up your computer to serious problems. Your search history, the websites you visit, and even your key strokes can be captured by spyware. There are some laws against those who put spyware on your computer but not nationwide.

To get technical for just a second: McAfee (one provider of anti-spyware) defines spyware as "any piece of software that transmits personal information to a third party without the user's knowledge or consent."

How can your computer become infected with spyware? E-mail attachments may contain spyware. Beware of e-mail from someone you don't know. Best to delete it without even opening it. Downloads of freeware, shareware, or even music CDs may come with spyware imbedded. Only download from trusted sites. Instant messaging programs are another source of spyware. Some programs that are marketed as anti-spyware are really spyware. Same with some programs called "accelerators"; they are spyware in disguise. If you see a pop-up that looks like a Windows dialog box with the message "would you like to optimize your internet access?" and asks you to click "yes" or "no," beware. You may have gone to a website that is specifically set up to put spyware on your computer without your knowing. Be careful accessing any website for the first time.

If you have an anti-virus program, it may claim it searches and removes spyware also. However, software dedicated to only looking for spyware may do a better job. In general an all-purpose anything may not be as good as a specific-purpose tool. A good anti-spyware program will scan all incoming data and block anything it considers spyware. Some anti-spyware programs only detect and remove spyware after it has been installed on your computer. These programs are much easier to use and can be scheduled to scan your computer at intervals you can set.

Do you have spyware on your computer? If you computer is behaving strangely, you may have spyware. If your computer runs much more slowly than usual, you may have spyware. You may not be able to run some programs, and your computer may crash without warning. You may find ads popping up frequently. Some of these ads may be for pornography. You may find yourself being directed to advertisements on websites without your input. But some spyware just sits in your computer doing damage that you are not even aware of.

In my opinion it's a no-brainer. Get some anti-spyware. And yes, after carefully evaluating the products, I have installed anti-spyware software on my computers.