What Is Spyware?

Spyware (spy software) became a huge and serious problem as viruses are. Most viruses make damage to machines, while spyware does harm by tracking person's privacy. There are spy software created for different purposes, that is why spyware extends into separate categories (category list). Each spyware category contains a list of related applications called parasites. Generally spy software operates on person's computer without his consent or agreement and is created to gather information about user:

• "browsing the internet" habits. Adware designers show interest in what web pages you surf. After they get user's web browsing history they start attacking you with related advertisements on your screen. Read the article about adware.
• private information such as credit card numbers, logins, passwords. Confident information about you can be stolen using key logger applications that record every key you press. Looking at the keystrokes file generated by key logger is not hard to get logins and passwords.
• user's machine security holes. After installing backdoor trojan attacker can manage with files on your machine, change computer configuration as well as monitoring your system.

Usually spyware is not so easy to uninstall, files are spread in different directories of computer. Mostly "Add/Remove Programs" Windows tool is not able to remove spy software properly. Even if it tells that application was removed successfully, spyware re-installs itself. Use step-by-step spyware removal help located on spyware-removal-guideline.com webpage, or try one of malware removers.

How does spyware get on my PC?

Usually spyware comes on you computer unasked. You can catch spy software doing nothing bad - just browsing internet! Spyware can be installed on your computer while you are visiting some pages which doesn't look suspicious at all. You won't even be notified about spyware installation. Other popular way to let spy software in is installing free software (programs). Free software is created to perform particular action (chatting, downloading files...)? Besides proper mission free software can perform spy actions. No notification is given that spyware is beeing installed in company with free programs.

What are the consequences having spyware on my PC?

If you got spyware installed without intention you may notice these variations: 1) slower computer performance; 2) annoying ads (pop-ups) every time you start your PC; 3) Changed computer configuration; 4) You can't dispose annoying toolbars which can be seen after launching internet explorer; 5) annoying windows offering to perform unwanted actions. IMPORTANT! If you are a network administrator and if your computer is infected with spyware, it can easily make damage to other machine that are located on your network.

How to protect computer against spyware?

Firstly you have to avoid spyware that comes with free programs. Do not install applications that are defined as spyware on spyware-removal-guideline.com. Do not perform actions from dialog-boxes not beeing sure about consequences. Other way to bypass adware - using anti-spyware programs which clears out you computer from any undesired program and you don't have to worry that someone is stealing private information.

Did You Ever Think...

Here's example of spyware program, BonziBuddy. It's very nice and funny program from the first look. That program belongs to several categories (Browser Helper Object, Adware, Toolbar, Spyware). Time to time a monkey comes through your screen offering to read tips. Yeah it's trying to make you smile but just thing if that monkey records your passwords logins and other valuable information about you! Both this monkey is not necessary and its slowing down your computer performance. Apart from such applications are wasting your PC processor, they are disturbing you because you'll never know when that funny monkey is going to appear and collect your eyes towards it.