Why You Need Spyware Protection

Just about everyone who uses a computer for home or for work has come into contact with spyware, whether they know it or not. Spyware ranges from the merely annoying, generating popup ads and slowing down internet use, to the truly dangerous, logging every keystroke in an attempt to capture passwords, account numbers and other sensitive information.

Why you need to protect yourself and your data
Unfortunately for computer users, spyware is everywhere, and the writers of this malicious software are becoming ever more clever at disguising their code and tricking users into running it. As with viruses and other malicious code, spyware sometimes enters the PC in the form of a link or piece of code buried in an email. In some cases, the spyware can infect the PC even if the suspicious email is not opened.

Other forms of spyware are encountered automatically simply by surfing the web. Some web pages contain malicious code that can track our movements, keep track of the products we buy and the websites we visit, or even steal passwords and account information.

The truth is that spyware is almost impossible to avoid. If you surf the web at all, or use your computer for email, chances are you will encounter spyware at some point. As with virus protection, the key is to be informed, and to use software solutions to protect yourself from this ever present threat. There are a number of excellent products on the market which can ferret out spyware and automatically shield you from its effects.

Try the programs before you buy
Before choosing a spyware detection product, it is a good idea to try out several different tools and see what they find on your PC. Different brands of spyware removal tools will find different spyware, so it is important to find out which one is the best before shelling out your hard earned cash. Most manufacturers of anti-spyware software and other computer protection products offer a free trial period, so it is quite easy to try out the software before you buy it.

In addition, if your computer is fairly new chances are it came packaged with some sort of spyware detection program, either a full version or a free trial version. Be sure to check your computer to see what kind of protection it has. Some computers come bundled with a security suite, including spyware elimination, virus protection and firewall protection.

If your computer does not have some sort of spyware protection already installed you have a variety of choices when it comes to keeping yourself and your data protected. Many companies make spyware protection products, including anti-virus companies like Symantec and Norton. In addition, Microsoft has introduced a very good spyware protection tool. Again, it is a good idea to download several trial versions and see what they can do.

The key, however, is to make sure that some sort of spyware protection is running on your computer at all times. The threat posed by spyware is present whenever you are online, and it is vital to protect your personal data from those who seek to profit from it.