In the last two years, Spyware and Adware have emerged as serious threats to your computers security and operational efficiency. But what is Spyware, and how do you prevent it?  The term Spyware generally refers to a program that runs on your computer and sends information about your usage over the internet to businesses or individuals. Typically, this information is used to target advertising to you, either through pop-ups or redirection of your browser to specific sites.  

This issue has exploded onto the scene in the past couple of years, costing individuals and companies billions of dollars in repairs and lost productivity, and companies that make software to protect your computer are scrambling to stay ahead of this threat.  (Sidenote: I have had many clients ask what the difference is between Spyware and a virus. Basically, the primary difference is that a virus, by definition, is self-replicating, meaning it tries to spread itself to other computers. Spyware typically does not, and usually (though not always) is less destructive to data and information stored on your computer. There are other differences, but these are key.)

Prevention is a little more difficult, but there are several things you can do to help minimize your risk.

1. Keep your computer up to date with the latest anti-virus, anti-spy, and Microsoft Updates. Set your computer to automatically install updates, or check the Windows/ Microsoft Update sites regularly.
2. If you get a pop-up to install something, read it carefully before clicking on it. Makers of spyware often disguise their installation programs as windows security updates. See this page for an example:                                                                                         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Benedelman-spyware-blogspot-2a.png 
3. Install Anti-Spyware software, such as Spybot Search and Destroy, or Windows Defender. (Cautionary note: Windows Defender seems to use a lot of system resources, so I would only suggest using it if you have at least 512MB of RAM on your system) Both do a good job of preventing and removing spyware.

Removal:  Most of my clients already have some version of Trend Micro installed, and it does a fair job of detecting Spyware and AdWare – if you see a pop-up on your machine that a virus was detected and the name of the virus begins with ADW or SPY, Trend has identified spyware on your computer and attempted to remove it as it would a virus. Two other products I often recommend are AdAware SE and the aforementioned Spybot Search and Destroy. Both are available as free or paid versions, the primary differences being whether or not the product updates automatically, and the level of control you have over it, such as scheduling scans. They often detect different things, so it can’t hurt to have both. Update them before scanning, and it is generally safe to remove or quarantine anything they find. Finally, if you like the products and find them useful, please consider supporting these companies by purchasing the full versions of their products.

This information is a good start, but is by no means comprehensive – for more information, or help preventing or removing spyware from your system, please contact us at 530.267.6199.