Spyware Information and Solutions
Is your PC slow? Lots of popups?
What is spyware?
Spyware is software that is downloaded on to your PC which contacts a main server with your browsing habits, general information, etc...
What does it do?
Spyware can do many things. One of the main symptoms is a large amount of popup ads when browsing the internet. This is caused by the software monitoring your activities and placing ads where it thinks you might be swayed to purchase something. This software uploads pertinent information about you to keep track of what you do online. Other symptoms include lockups, slowness, and crashing.
What to do about it?
There are many Anti-Virus programs that constantly monitor your internet and email activity and attempt to keep these items off your computer. Our favorite application is AVG, although Kaspersky, Trend Micro, McAfee and Norton also provide anti-virus applications. In addition, the technicians at User Friendly use Spy Bot Search and Destroy, MalwareBytes and CCleaner to find and remove infections that have gotten past your active anti-virus. All of these can be downloaded for free at www.FileHippo.com. These programs should be updated and run at least monthly to keep your system free of unwanted spyware.
Thursday, February 17, 2011