Spyware is a term that is used to describe any type of technology that aids in the gathering of information about any person or organization without their knowledge and without their consent. This includes data collecting programs that are installed without the user’s knowledge and which is often associated with certain software that displays advertisements, otherwise known as adware.
Spyware can make changes on your Computer that can be more than just disruptive it can be damaging as you can misplace or lose files. It can also change your Web browser’s home page, remove your temporary files, and add additional components to your browser that you do not need or want, which can obviously get to be rather frustrating.
Anti Spyware Programs
This is where anti Spyware programs come into play, as they will help to keep Spyware off of your Computer system, and if any Spyware does happen to slip past the radar, you will be able to remove it off of your network quickly and easily, as long as you have the right anti Spyware program that is.
There are always new and improved anti Spyware programs being released onto the market, so it is always a good idea to keep an eye open for what is new and advanced in the world of anti Spyware programs. To date however, there are a few anti Spyware programs in particular that you should really consider.
Spybot Search & Destroy is one anti virus program that most Computer users have at least heard of before. It is definitely one of the most effective and reputable in the industry, and it known for catching up to 95% of all infections. As well, the SDHelper and TeaTimer functions offered by the program help significantly in terms of keeping downloaded software from being able to root itself onto your drive.
Microsoft Windows Defender is another of the top anti Spyware programs, and is actually considered as being even more thorough than the Spybot option. It is included in Windows Vista and free to download, and works well as part of a combination defense, with other similar programs.
McAfee is another very well known name in the anti Spyware industry, and in recent tests has actually shown to detect 100% of all Spyware infection, making it one of the top choices of anti Spyware programs in the world. It is a bit pricier than many other programs like it but well worth the initial cost.