Protecting Your Computer from Adware and Spyware

Protecting your computer from adware and spyware is crucial to being safe while online! It is sad, but now computer users have to be aware of more than just spam and viruses. We now have to concern ourselves with the new world of adware and spyware. What are adware and spyware, and how can you protect your computer from them? While adware and spyware are often grouped together, they are in fact different. Adware is the software that decides which ads to show on your computer while you are surfing the Internet. It can also be responsible for ads popping up on your computer when you are not even using the Internet. Spyware is software designed to mine your personal information from the computer while you are using it. This information is then sent to a third party, and you have no idea this is going on. Most often this is simply information about where you are going on the Internet, but often it targets your personal identity information. Whether you are batting spyware, adware, or both, there are several things you can do to protect yourself. You are on the right track now because you are getting educated about adware and spyware.

How to Tell If Your Computer Is Affected

The first step to protecting yourself from adware and spyware is determining if your computer is affected by the malicious programs. Usually, the first clue that you have a problem is a sudden and unexpected issue with the performance on your computer. If your Internet browser suddenly works slowly, or not at all, you might have a problem. Also, adware and spyware can make your entire computer run slowly. If you notice these problems, it is time to check your computer thoroughly.

Protections from Adware and Spyware

Protecting your computer from adware and spyware should be one of your first priorities. It may not be possible to completely avoid these programs installing themselves on your computer, but there are steps you can take to keep it from happening. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid installing software you are not familiar with. When you get those pop up boxes asking you if you trust the source of the software you are about to download, think twice before clicking yes! The most common way for spyware and adware to get on your computer is by piggybacking on a program you intended to install. Free programs are one of the best culprits of this problem.

Do not click on those pop ups that say your computer is at risk! These are also prime places for spyware to install on your computer. The minute you press "yes" to doing a security scan, you are opening your computer up for unwanted, and often dangerous, software. Make sure you have anti spyware programming installed on your computer, and that you use it on a frequent basis. Even if you are not noticing a problem, check. You might choose one day a week to do a scan for spyware and adware. This is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself.