Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, but can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software, redirecting Web browser activity, or diverting advertising revenue to a third party.
In response to the rapid emergence of spyware, a small industry has sprung up dealing in anti-spyware software. Running anti-spyware software has become a widely recognized element of computer security best practices for Microsoft Windows desktop computers. A number of jurisdictions have passed anti-spyware laws, which usually target any software that is surreptitiously installed to control a user's computer.
For one it can drain precious system resources like memory and hard disk space. If your computer has started to run really slow, but it never used to, then it probably is infected with spyware. If you have never done a spyware scan then it is highly recommended that you do as there is a good chance that you have a number of Spyware programs on your computer.
More importantly for most people, Spyware can also compromise your privacy, providing outsiders with information about your computer habits. If a spyware program installs a keylogger it can capture your keystrokes and send it to a third party. as you can imagine this can potentially be disastorous and expose your user IDs and passwords to thieves and scam artists.
Some spyware programs are trojans which allows someone to log into your computer remotely and use it for their own purposes like sending spam or launching malicious attacks on other computers on the Internet, making it look like you are at fault.
Your best defense against spyware and any other unwanted software is to simply not download it in the first place. Some experts recommend that you change browsers periodically or simply avoid using Internet Explorer and use Firefox instead ( ). Here are a few helpful tips that can help protect you from downloading potentially unwanted programs: