Spyware

• Defining Spyware

Spyware is a program installed on your computer, with or without your permission, that can change system configurations, monitor your Internet activity and broadcast the information back to an outside party. Sluggish computer performance, altered home pages, and endless pop-ups are all signs your PC is infected. The milder forms of spyware, known as adware, are simply annoying, with increased spam and unwanted pop-ups. Malware refers to more malicious programs that can rob your PC of its ability to run efficiently, and put you in danger of financial loss and even identity theft. The most harmful forms can collect, use and distribute your personal information, like banking passwords and credit card numbers.

Today, as cyber criminals increasingly set their sights on financial gain, spyware is more and more pervasive and stealthy. By all counts, the amount of malware online grows exponentially on a daily basis. At the same time, the industry itself is evolving, with cyber crime growing in sophistication and even mimicking real-world crime tactics. Malware writers are now stealthily blending threats - made up of different types of malicious software, combining traditional forms of spyware with traditional forms of viruses - in order to infiltrate PCs.

How to Protect Your Computer From Viruses and Spyware

• Keep Your Antivirus Software Up To Date

To begin with, you need to make sure that your antivirus software is up to date.  This includes making sure that all virus definitions are downloaded on your computer.  If your software isn’t looking for all of the newest threats to your computer, your protective software cannot do its job.  Additionally, if you have a paid antivirus software subscription, the subscriptions usually only last for one year.  When your subscription expires, the software no longer works and is not protecting your computer any more.

(Make Sure You Have Anti Spyware Software Also)

• Set Up Full System Scans

Also important to keep your computer protected is running scheduled deep scans of your computer. While having an antivirus suite running in the background of your computer will help filter out most threats, no program can catch everything. Almost all computer security suites allow for scheduling a weekly full computer scan that will double check for threats that may have slipped past the software. These scans usually take several hours, so it is a good idea to schedule them in the middle of the night so it does not interrupt your normal computer use.

• Install a Software Firewall

Another method to help keep your computer safe is to install a software firewall.  While many routers come with built in firewalls, they are ineffective against anything other than hackers.  They will not help keep your computer safe from malicious software.  However, there are software firewalls that you can install on your PC that will allow you to select a list of programs that are allowed internet access.  This means that any suspicious programs can be locked down before they can do any damage to your computer.