What Is Spyware And What Can I Do About It?

Spyware is software installed on your computer which secretly sends data across the internet. Most spyware is relatively benign. It will often be included as part of a software suite which fulfils a genuine function and may well only be concerned with reporting information which will be useful to the software's creator such as usage data. Spyware of this type is not particularly harmful although it does take up bandwidth and, when a large amount of it is installed on a system, the user's internet connection may seem unusually sluggish as a result. More malevolent forms of spyware may collect information such as passwords or credit card details then secretly transmit it across the internet.

Software tools exist which will scan your computer, looking for spyware, and offer you the option to remove it. Like anti-virus software, these tools must be updated continually in order to remain current with the newest crop of spyware around. Lavasoft's Ad Aware is one of the most respected utilities of this type.

Installing a firewall on your computer should help protect against spyware. Most firewalls will offer you the option of granting or denying permission to a piece of software on your machine when it attempts to form an outgoing internet connection. This will allow you to monitor what your computer is doing and exert some control over it.