Spyware & Adware Software Can Protect Your Computer

If your computer is having performance issues for no apparent reason, you may be the unwitting victim of spyware or adware. Both spyware and adware are malicious forms of software that basically sneak uninvited onto your computer on the coattails of other programs you choose to install.

Without your knowledge or consent, spyware can secretly track all your personal information and internet habits, while forwarding the information to an unknown third party. Adware has the ability to aggravate you with unwanted advertisements, even if you are not online.

Unlike viruses and worms, spyware and adware exploits infected computers for commercial gain by popping up unsolicited advertisements and by hijacking personal information such as financial card numbers. Malicious software programs of spyware and adware penetrates the computer either of the two different ways:

1. Either as a download with freeware that you yourself install or

2. It is downloaded and installed in your computer as something else.

Although, this is no longer the case, all you needed for computer protection was virus protection. However, today, if adware and spyware get into your computer, you will find its solution by installing a good software program that will detect and remove these problems for you.

Here is a list of the most popularly useful free downloads you can find online for cleaning up problems related to adware and spyware.

- Ad-Aware is developed by the Lavasoft to detect and remove spyware, adware, and other persistent malware programs from your computer. This spyware removal program is offered for free by its developer. Some of its versions with plus and pros are offered at reasonable prices.

- Spybot Search & Destroy doesn't just find and stop the spyware and adware files on your computer. This software also includes a file shredder to see that the damaging programs are totally removed from your system and destroyed.

- Spyware Blaster is an anti-spyware program for Microsoft Windows which is developed to block the spyware from being installed to the computer by blacklisting the malicious program. It is different from other existing spyware and adware removal program because of its capability to scan the memory of the computer and then remove the unwanted software that has been previously installed in the computer.

- Windows Defender is the free spyware and adware protection software offered by Microsoft. It does a good job for a free program, but you have to verify that you are running a licensed version of Windows before you can complete the download.

It doesn't hurt to use more than one of these programs on your computer. One scan may catch something that another doesn't - and they are all free, so you can't lose!