Spyware and Anti Virus Software are Important Factors In Computer Security

Spyware is one of the biggest nuisances for internet users today. 
Though we keep hearing lot of terms such as root-kit software, 
“antispyware”, spyware doctor etc, when we try to remove software 
we find that it is almost impossible to remove this antispyware. 
This article explains in easy understandable english how to 
remove spyware and why an anti-virus software is important in 
removing spyware. 

Let us first understand what a spyware is before killing it.  
Spyware is a type of computer program and does undesirable 
things on your computer like stealing passwords, credit card 
numbers, personal information, popping up ads, slowing down 
your computer, calling toll numbers from your modem, installing 
viruses and worms and hundred other things like these.  If 
any of such a thing is happening on your computer that means 
your computer has been infected by spyware. Do not panic, 
it is easy to remove spyware. 

First switch on your internet connection firewall or personal 
firewall. I have explained in other articles how to do this. 
Next get an antispyware software. I have explained this also 
in other articles. Be careful not to download rogue 
“antispyware” software. “products often bill themselves 
as antispyware, antivirus, or registry cleaners, and 
sometimes feature popups prompting users to install them.”1

Finally get anti-virus software. This is important 
because antispyware do not detect virus present in your 
computer. If you surf the net, you can be pretty sure that 
your computer has both spyware and virus. A virus in your 
computer considerably weakens the defenses of your computer 
and makes it vulnerable to worm, virus and spyware attack. 
The commercial antivirus software companies came relatively 
late to the anti-spyware business. This was due to some 
lawsuits by spyware companies against the anti-virus 
companies. 

There is a big controversy going on defining a spyware 
between spyware companies and anti-virus companies.  
However the antivirus software companies are offering 
spyware protection in most of their antivirus software. 
There are freely available anti-virus software like Avast! 
which can be downladed.  However the perfomance is not as 
good as commercially available versions because they do 
not provide real time protection. When you purchase an 
anti-virus software ensure that the software updates 
itself automatically from the internet. After purchasing 
antivirus software install it. 

Installation is very easy all you have to press is 
“ok” or “I accept”. Carry out a thorough scan of your 
computer. You will be surprised by the number of 
spyware and virus detected on your system. 

According to a survey by AOL “80% of surveyed users' 
computers had some form of spyware.”2 Usually there 
is a provision for daily automatic updating. If such 
is present switch it on so that the virus database is 
updated regularly. 

Following the above mentioned steps is sufficient to 
clean your computer from virus and spyware. 

References:
1.Howes, Eric L. "The Spyware Warrior List of Rogue/Suspect 
Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites". Retrieved July 10, 2005. 

2“AOL/NCSA Online Safety Study". America Online & 
The National Cyber Security Alliance. October 2004.