Using A Spyware Removal Program

By Jason Hobbs

A spyware removal program is, naturally, a program designed to remove malicious spyware from a computer. Unfortunately we live with an online world where innocence and trust struggle to exist. There are many who would rather take what they can in any way they can. One way they do this is to spy on you from inside your own computer and steal whatever they can find. You may be surprised at just how easy it can be too.

Most of us with computers are connected to the Internet all the time or at least part of the time. This makes us potentially vulnerable to outside threats. Most of us know this so we install a firewall and email virus protection. For many of us that's enough. We don't have a spyware removal program. Occasionally the firewall tells us it has blocked a threat, and occasionally the virus protection picks up something nasty too. We feel safe.

Meanwhile, completely invisible to us, a spyware program has managed to intrude. It may be one of the less harmful ones, or it may be a very nasty one. Let's imagine it's a Trojan that can record every keystroke you make on the keyboard, and completely unaware of the situation you have decided to check your online bank balance...

You trust your online banking facility. You have a good username and password that no one is ever going to guess. You're right, but with a Trojan successfully implanted in your computer, they don't have to guess! When you type in your details the spyware program records it and passes the information to the owner of the program. Next time you check your bank balance you are in for a shock!

You need a spyware removal program in addition to a firewall and virus protection. In fact, you need several different spyware removal programs. Each one should be good at picking up different things. No one program is perfect, but several together can complement each other and pick up most of the spyware.

The best way to use a spyware removal program is to let it scan the system and report on what it finds. Expect it to find some spyware. It will probably be fairly harmless stuff, but get rid of it nevertheless. Then re-boot your system and scan again with the same program, deleting whatever it finds again. Do that until it reports the computer clean. Then start up a different spyware removal program and do the process all over again.

Yes, it takes a lot of time, but buying a new computer and setting it up the way you want it will take even more time and expense. That's what you'll end up doing if you let spyware run rampant, and it will if you don't do something about it.

None of the protection you have on your computer is perfect. The firewall will occasionally miss things. The virus protection will miss things too. It happens. You can help these programs by keeping all the definitions completely up to date at all times and scanning the system at regular intervals of no more than a week apart. It really is worth it.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Hobbs

Spyware - A Hidden Menace

By Dylan Phillips

The internet age has brought us many wonderful things like shopping from home, unlimited research capabilities, and YouTube. However, this new era has also ushered in a hidden menace: spyware and adware now infect over 90% of the world's computers. The problem is that these digital viruses, like their biological namesake, change their structure just as quickly as programs can be written to detect and delete them.

These malicious files are also aptly named in regards to their effects on a computer's performance. This is due to the nature of how a spyware program operates: spyware is installed on your system without your knowledge, and does not leave an icon on your desktop nor can it be deleted using Windows' "Add or remove programs," feature. While you browse the web, listen to music, and chat on your computer, spyware runs in the background, keeping track of everything you do and type. This information is relayed back to whatever company caused the software to be installed in the first place. When multiple spyware applications have installed themselves onto a machine, they all continue to run at the same time on top of whatever else the owner is doing. This dramatically slows down even a very fast computer.

After talking with a few computer programmers and a friend of mine who is a software designer for a well-known anti-virus company, I have compiled a list of 5 easy steps you can take to prevent yourself from a potentially damaging infection:

1. Whatever you do, NEVER download an Internet Explorer toolbar from a site that you do not trust. While toobars from well-known companies such as Google can be invaluable tools, the majority of these are scams. The features will all work as advertised, but the software is likely bundled with massive amounts of spyware that is completely legal because you agree to install it in the user agreement (they count on the fact that nobody ever reads those things).

2. Install spyware removal software and be sure to run a full system scan every 1-2 weeks. It is amazing how fast unwanted malware can accumulate on a harddrive. If you are on the internet alot, you may even want to increase this number. Be wary of scams when searching for an antispyware program, as many programs available for free from various websites actually contain spyware of their own. This site has helpful information about spyware and adware as well as reviews of the top 5 scan and removal programs: http://www.antispywarereviewer.com/

3. Stay away from file sharing networks like Kazaa, Limewire, and Morpheus. There is a reason these programs are free to download! The company makes money not by charging for the product, but by bundling it with various directed advertising components and spyware. There is also malicious software attached to many of the files hosted on the network.

4. You may want to consider downloading Mozilla Firefox to use as your web browser instead of Internet Explorer. Because the vast majority of internet users use Internet Explorer, most adware is made to work through this browser. Just by completing this step alone you can protect yourself from a large percentage of spyware programs before they even have a chance to enter your computer. Firefox can be found on the Mozilla website at: http://www.mozilla.com/

5. Though skilled programmers can sneak many spyware programs past firewalls and onto your system by bundling them with legitimate-appearing software, it is still important to have a strong firewall. Anti-virus programs like Norton or Mcafee will protect you from large threats like worms and trojans, but the software you installed if you followed step 2 is specifically made to target spyware, adware, and any threats to your personal information. Aside from the scans you should be running weekly, you will be notified of new threats as they are detected on your system, giving you the option to delete them before they become fully operational.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dylan_Phillips

How to Remove Spyware From My Computer

By Vanesa Ayala

Having spyware installed on your computer can have serious precautions for you and your computer. Spyware does exactly what it suggests, it spies on you. This can be interesting for advertisers. Because by spying on you they know what kind of sites and products you like. With this information they can show the most interesting ads for you.
Spyware is very powerful software, it gives full control over your computer to the developer of the spyware program. It is as scary as it sounds. Unlike viruses, whose goal usually is to damage your computer, spyware wants to gather information from you and your computer and remain undetected. Some computers run perfectly for years with spyware installed on them.

The more dangerous spyware variants can do more then just spy on your surfing habits. For example there are spyware programs that can detect when you are entering a credit card number and send the information to an anonymous server. Once they have your credit card details, they can do with it as they please. Also passwords from some sites are very interesting for these spyware developers. Can you imagine that they steal your paypal password? Your account will be empty before you know it.

To protect yourself from spyware, you can simply install a spyware scanner. A spyware/adware scanner can scan, detect and remove any spyware/adware programs that got installed on your PC. Some of the more intelligent scanners can even scan your computer real time, preventing you from installing the spyware in the first place.
Learn more about spyware removers

How to Remove Spyware

By Bushra Bashir

Introduction to Spyware
Spyware is a software program that stealthily collects information about the user’s activities on the computer and reports back to the spyware software creator. The most common sources of the spyware are files sharing programs, online gaming, screens savers and downloading software from insecure websites. Once spyware are enters the computer they change the behavior of the computer. A spyware can be installed in a computer by different ways.
Sometimes it can be installed with the popular shareware programs. A spyware infected computer may show following changes.

Symptoms of Spyware

• Web browser’s home page is changed automatically.
  New toolbars are installed.
• Antivirus and Anti spyware programs frequently complains that your system is infected with the spyware, malware or Trojan horses.
• It takes a long time to start or resume your computer programs.
• Excessive pop-up ads are installed in the computer automatically.
• Computer becomes very slow to response and internet connectivity also takes time.
• Unwanted search results appear when you search something.
• New desktop shortcuts are created.
• If your system is infected with spyware then you may notice bounced back emails or emails being sent without your knowledge.
• Keyboard loggers can capture the password and user name and send back to the spyware software creator.

How to Remove Spyware
A spyware program is very different in behavior and symptoms from the viruses. Following are some of the programs that help you manage detect, remove and protect your system from the spyware.

Panda Security Suite

Trend Micro Anti spyware program

Zone Alarm Pro

McAfee Antivirus + Anti spyware program

Pest Patrol

Spyblocker

Spycop

Additionally from the following spyware resources you can check if your system is infected with the spyware.

http://www.spychecker.com/

http://www.tom-cat.com/spybase/spylist.html

http://www.infoforce.qc.ca/spyware/

Prevention

With some preventive measures you can protect your system from being infected from the spyware, malware, adware and keyloggers. These safety tips include safe emailing, safe surfing, securing browser’s settings, using spyware detection and prevention software, blocking pop-up ads, blocking files sharing applications and regularly scanning your computer with the anti spyware and antivirus software programs.

B. Bashir manages this website Networking Tutorials and regularly writes articles on various topics such as Computer Networking, Network Troubleshooting Tips Wireless Networking, Computer Hardware, Certifications, How Tos, Network Security Guide and computer tips.