What is spyware and adware?

"To explain what spyware is, we'll first explain what adware is. Adware is 'freeware', whereby ads are embedded in the program. These ads will show up when you open the program. Most adware authors provide the free version with ads and a registered version whereby the ads are disabled. As such, you the user have the choice, you either use the freeware with ads served or you purchase the registered version.

Spyware, however, is published as 'freeware' or as 'adware', but the fact that an analysis and tracking program (which reports your activities to the advertising providers' web site for storage and analysis, the 'spyware' agent) is also installed on your system when you install this so-called 'freeware', is usually not mentioned. Even though the name may indicate so, spyware is not an illegal type of software in any way (see our analogy). But what the adware and spyware providers do with the collected information and what they're going to 'feed' you with, is beyond your control."

The above information was found on the website, Simply The Best. To read this informative article in its entirety click the following link http://www.simplythebest.net/info/spyware.html.

How do I know if my computer has adware or spyware installed?

Depending on the type of pest that plagues your computer, it may be very easy to detect an infection. That's the good news. The bad news is that some of the most dangerous infections, especially from spyware, can be very difficult to detect. That's why most of the checking and removing of pests is done with software designed to do just that. Nevertheless, there are some general symptoms you should know:

After reading through the information provided above and seeing the same symptoms on your computer you think you may be infected with adware or spyware. What now? We have provided three steps below to help you remove these annoyances and get your computer back to proper working order:

1. Open your Control Panel and then double-click on Add/Remove Programs. Look through the list of software on your computer and remove unnecessary programs that look suspicious. Some common adware/spyware you might see are: BonziBuddy, Comet Cursor, Xupiter, WildTangent, WebHancer, Searchbar, Savenow, Gator, New.net and Gain. Note: be very careful and only remove programs you are sure you do not need. If you are unsure if a program is malicious then check the complete list of spyware at http://www.spywareguide.com/product_list_full.php.

2. If you have Windows 2000 or XP you should download and install the new free Microsoft AntiSpyware software. If you have Windows 95 or 98 you should download and install Ad-Aware from www.lavasoftusa.com. You can download this software for free by clicking here. Once you have downloaded and installed Ad-Aware, start the program and click on the "Check for Updates now" link at the bottom right. Once the updates are installed, perform a standard scan and then remove all of the items that Ad-Aware finds. Close Ad-Aware and immediately restart your computer.

3. While Ad-Aware should remove most of the problems on your computer, if you continue to have problems then download and install the free version of Spybot - Search and Destroy by clicking here. Once you have downloaded and installed Spybot, start the program and click on the "Check for Updates" button at the top. Once the updates are installed, click the "Check for Problems" button and then remove all of the items that Spybot finds. Close Spybot and immediately restart your computer.

NOTE: We recommend only using Ad-Aware, Spybot - Search and Destroy and Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta to remove malicious programs. There are several programs on the net that claim to remove spyware when all they actually do is load more on your computer.

How do I prevent Spyware and Adware infection in the future?

Ninety percent of avoiding spyware is education and common sense. If you have been vulnerable to spyware infestations or spyware attacks in the past, chances are you remain vulnerable unless changes have been made in your policies, your online behavior or the way you detect such pests.

- You should know by now that opening spam or any e-mail from persons unknown or with an unexpected attachment is unwise. In addition to viruses, spyware and other programs can be present in e-mail attachments. Web sites advertised in unsolicited e-mail can try to plant dialers or other types of pests on your computer as well.

- There is a lot to see on the World Wide Web, and sometimes you're not sure where it's coming from. If your computer is used to visit Web sites that are not published by well-known publishers, it is even more important to regularly scan for pests. Pay close attention if you visit Web sites that advertise "too good to be true" deals or feature pornography.

- Be careful what you download. Read all dialogue boxes carefully and close anything that looks suspicious. When closing dialogue boxes or pop-up advertisements, be sure to use the proper "X" to close the window. The Web is full of ads that feature mock "Xs" or "Close" or "OK" buttons within the ad. Clicking on them actually clicks on the ad itself. If you're not sure how to safely close a window that has opened in your browser, right click on the window in your Windows Taskbar (usually at the bottom of your display) and click on "Close."

- Some ads that appear online attempt to pass themselves off as security alerts or messages from tech support (these are called Fake User Interfaces). If you're using a computer within an organization, communicate with your tech support staff if you're unsure whether a message is legitimate, and familiarize yourself with how tech support communicates with the computer users in your organizations.

- Install the Google Toolbar if you want to prevent the majority of pop-up ads on the net. It doesn't block them all but it prevents more than 90% of the pop-ups you would normally encounter and it has a great search box that is tied directly to their search engine which just happens to be the best search engine on the Internet. Click here to go to the Google Toolbar website.

- Remember to be suspicious of everything when it comes to installing software on your computer. No matter how safe, fun or useful the tool may sound, do some research to ensure it is a legitimate program. Many malicious sites on the Internet use our country, soldiers, religion and many other heart warming things to lure us into clicking or downloading. Being informed is the number one tool for being safe.

For more information on spyware and adware please refer to the following websites which served as references for creating this page: