Spyware Virus

Spyware Virus – A Nasty Little Critter

It seems that every advance in technology comes with both its good side and its bad, and nowhere is that more true than on the internet.  While it is certainly true that the internet provides great value, including the ability to start businesses that could never have existed before, there are also nefarious characters and criminals who seek to profit at the expense of others.  One of the new ways criminals are using the internet is by spreading a spyware virus.  Spyware and adware are becoming all too common on the internet, and it is vital that all computer users take steps to protect themselves from the harm they can do.

What is spyware anyway?
The term spyware virus actually covers quite a lot of different items. For instance, there are spyware viruses that are relatively benign.  These types of viruses may simply record the web sites you visit and use that information to send you targeted advertisements or flood you with pop up ads.  While these spyware viruses are definitely annoying, and most users would consider them an invasion of privacy, they are by no means the most harmful of this group.

The more harmful spyware viruses are those that seek to steal personal and private information, often financial information, and use it for nefarious means.  Just about everyone has heard the stories about the growing problem of identity theft, and many cases of identity have originated with the planting of a spyware virus on the victims computer.  Unbeknownst to the computer owner, the spyware sits on the PC, quietly collecting sensitive private information like Social Security numbers and account numbers.

A challenging and dangerous problem
While this type of spyware virus is certainly bad enough, there is a form that is potentially even more damaging.  There area  growing number of spyware viruses that are in effect key logger programs.  These programs are designed to capture sensitive information like passwords and account numbers, and with so many people doing their banking and investing online it is easy to see how damaging this kind of information could potentially be.  These spyware viruses work by recording every keystroke a user makes on his or her computer, then sending those keystrokes on to a third party, who uses them to steal valuable information.

The best protection against these kinds of spyware viruses is a solid anti virus software program, coupled with a good anti spyware program and spyware removal tool.  More and more anti virus programs are incorporating spyware detection and removal into their products, but at the moment it is still better to install several different products. Anti spyware programs like Adaware, Spybot Search and Destroy and Spysweeper to an excellent job at keeping spyware off your computer.

Of course the best way to keep those spyware viruses off your computer is to run your anti virus software and spyware removal programs on a daily basis.  Each program will then report back on problems it has found, and give the user the option of what to do.  After you have determined that a particular program truly is a spyware virus, you can remove it.  Most anti spyware programs do a good job of fully removing any spyware they find, but it never hurts to run a second scan to make sure the spyware virus has been eliminated.