veryday more and more habits, or whatever you type on
computers are becoming your keyboard. Adware is not much
infected with Spyware and better. It is designed to watch
Adware (advertising tracking). No what you do online, where you go,
matter where you go on the web, which terms you search for and
someone is trying to sneak then report this to the ad agency
something on your computer. From that runs the adware program.
honest web sites placing simple
logon cookies, to paid Adware programs may be designed
advertising tracking your with the best intentions in mind,
movements on the web, to but even these can cause your
malicious software that is computer serious problems.
designed to record your
keystrokes and discover your Here is what happens. Many, if
passwords, Spyware and Adware not most, advertisers on the
have together become the web's internet will try and place a
number one problem. cookie or other small program on
your computer. Many will add code
Many of these programs are down that will track that cookie as it
right dangerous and seriously hits different pages. The code
threaten your online privacy and may be designed simply to gather
identity. But even the simple and anonymous data, or it may be
supposedly benign Adware programs trying to send ads to your
can cause you serious problems. browser that the advertising
company thinks you will be more
Spyware is any program that likely to respond to.
installs itself onto your
computer with the intent to spy Whatever the case, the Adware or
on your activity. This can be Spyware is using your computer to
recording your online searching do its tracking. This means that
part of your computer's power and spyware on a computer, you will
CPU cycles are being diverted need different tools to remove a
away from the activity you are computer virus and to keep your
trying to perform. Your computer system clean from Spyware and
is being used by someone else Adware. You should be using both
instead to track your movements. a high quality commercial
Now, when we multiply this anti-virus program and one or
behavior by tens or hundreds of more good quality programs for
Adware or Spyware programs all handling the spyware/adware
trying to use your computer for problem.
their work you can begin to see
the problem. There are several good
Spyware/adware programs on the
These programs can literally slow market. I use two different
your computer down to a crawl, or programs on my network, Ad-aware
make it crash altogether. They from Lavasoft and Spy Sweeper
can fill your computer up with from Webroot Software although
trash files, open unwanted popup there are several others. You can
windows, use up the space in your easily find both of these by
internet cache and generally just doing an internet search for
make working on your computer a Ad-aware and Spy Sweeper. Or
nightmare. simply do a search for spyware.
Both of these programs will scan
Luckily there are several easy your hard drives and registry and
solutions to the problem. But present you with a list of
first let me make one spyware/adware programs hiding on
distinction, Spyware and Adware your system. You can then
are not the same thing as a quarantine or remove the
computer virus. Although a offending programs. I use both of
computer virus can install these programs since neither one
seems to catch everything. Plus I very clean network and I have yet
will run them 2 or more times in to scan my system and not come up
a row, the nastier spyware will with at least a few of these
not be completely removed on the hiding on my hard drive.
first pass.
So be aware of the problem, take
The process is very easy and I reasonable precautions, scan your
recommend running these programs system frequently, and the
at least once a week and every spyware/adware curse can be
time you have been doing some broken.
extended web surfing. You will be
surprised at how many of these Copyright 2005 - George Peirson
spyware/adware programs will
sneak onto your system. I run a
About the Author:
George Peirson is a successful Entrepreneur, Internet Trainer and author of over 30 multimedia based tutorial training titles. Read more articles by George Peirson at www.howtogurus.com/free-articles.html
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