If you have ever had to clean up your computer to get rid of garbage programs such as browser toolbars and unknown “utilities”, it is important to know how these get on your system so it will not happen again. For the most part, unless you specifically installed these programs, they probably get installed by sneaky installers. For a more in-depth...

If you are very concerned about malware on your system and already have a couple of programs to scan for such programs, another anti-spyware package you might want to try is Malwarebytes. From their description: Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware can detect and remove malware that even the most well known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to detect....

Yesterday a ton of people (possibly you included) received an auto-update from Microsoft patching the security flaw recently discovered in IE 7. If you haven’t received it yet for auto-update you will soon enough. Not to be outdone, malware authors have already begun work on alternate ways of exploiting security holes in that browser. One of the ways...

For those of you who like the convenience of an all-in-one security package (typically anti-virus, anti-spyware, spam filtering and a firewall), PC World’s rating of the top packages would be a good read. I know many people on the forums here prefer to use a combination of various free programs to accomplish the same tasks. However, I personally believe...

Now that you have been introduced to some of the spyware tools that are available, there is a general procedure of attack to rid your system of that pesky software. First, identify any odd-ball applications listed in Control Panel > Add/Remove programs. You will need to be online to remove certain spyware applications because they require you to go to their...

The two most common and most used spyware tools, Lavasoft’s Adaware and Spybot Search & Destroy have been cleaning infected systems for a few years now. Both still come highly recommended for your spyware combat arsenal. However, an interesting factor has cropped up recently where Lavasoft has removed a large well-known adware vendor called WhenU from...

Tightening up system security, keeping up to date with security patches, and engaging in safe Internet usage are the three main ways to prevent spyware from entering your computer system. Many of these techniques rely on each other to maintain overall good system security. Don’t rely on just one or two. Use most, if not all, of these techniques. You will...

Much of the time, spyware relies on persuading unaware or credulous users to download and install it by offering some kind of seemingly enticing bait, such as a prize, free money, a free service, or a free service that’s “better” and supposedly gives you a leg up on widely known legitimate software or services. 99% of the time, you can assume...

There is a large set of problems that are usually attributed to spyware, but that doesn’t mean the effects of spyware are limited to the items described below. If you are experiencing any one of these, it may be a good idea to run some spyware scans. [hidepost=1]When you start your computer, or when your computer has been idle for many minutes, your web...

The single, all-encompassing term “spyware” is more or less a misnomer, for there are a number of different kinds of software that engage in data harvesting and come under the broad, umbrella-like term “spyware”. Spyware can be loosely associated with viruses; Trojans and Worms being the closest relative to viruses, but there is a fine...

Taken down to its simplest form and to be quite general, spyware is a software technology that assists in information gathering. The kind of information being gathered depends on how the spyware was written and what it was made to target. Once installed on a system, it can collect password data, bank and credit data, information on web surfing habits, email...