Avoiding Spyware And Malware Attacks

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Spyware and other types of malware are more than just a pain in the neck - they can cause other programs to malfunction and even make your computer unstable. And of course there's all the privacy issues that go along with it.

This type of software is often installed without a user's consent and often can't be uninstalled without special tools. When distributors use tricks and deception to install uninvited software, trust is destroyed.

The first line of defense against spyware is to be careful installing software. Know what's being downloaded. A large percentage of freeware or shareware programs have spyware embedded in them. Sometimes that's disclosed in the user agreement, but often not.

Check for "spyware free" guarantees on software you download. Obviously, anyone can say something is spyware free even when it isn't, but if a website has gone to the trouble to say so, it is more likely to be safe than if they hadn't.

How will you know if you've been infected by spyware? Some of the most common problems include unusual pop-up ads, a change to your homepage, new toolbars showing up in your browser and your computer acting strangely, such as freezing up or rebooting out of the blue.

If you do get infected with spyware, there are ways to get rid of it. A number of companies make software designed to get rid of it. These programs will scan your computer and check through their database of known spyware for any matches. These databases get updated frequently as new forms of spyware are found.

Many are free, though sometimes the paid versions have more automation features such as removing spyware on receipt rather than requiring a manual scan. None will find every piece of spyware on your system, since they rely on a database which has to be populated according to someone's judgment. And, one man's spyware is sometimes another's welcomed advertiser.

Some spyware is notoriously difficult to remove. They may make several alterations to your system settings and install files in different places. Often the only way to remove this type of spyware is to find the locations of all the files and manually delete them.

Obviously, this is something that you should only attempt if you are quite knowledgeable. You wouldn't want to remove something that is critical for your computer to operate.

Once you've got rid of any spyware on your computer, you can help keep it clean by running a scan on a regular basis. Whether this is scheduled, or you do it manually is up to you.

And, of course, beware those tempting looking free offers. You may get more than you bargained for.


About the Author:
How can you keep your computer safe from spyware, viruses, identity theft and other internet security attacks? You don't need to be a technical genius to be safe. Learn the insider secrets that will keep you safe at http://www.onlinesecuritytoolkit.com This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.



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