Safeguarding our computers are one of the most important things we can do. It doesn't matter if you use your computer for just emailing and talking online with friends, or running a small business at home off of your laptop, you should always take the necessary steps to protecting yourself and your computer. A lot of people have no problem downloading anti-virus or anti-spyware software but then they never update it. Usually every few weeks your anti-spyware software needs to be updated. This update includes things like new virus definitions, which is really important considering new viruses pop up almost every single day! Another misnomer, is that you have to actually download something to become infected. This isn't true, sadly. You could become infected just by surfing the Internet. You would really be surprised the things your computer can pick up just by visiting certain web pages.
If you don't have anti-spyware software, how do you know which is the best one for you? Or how do you know which ones really work? Well, there are comparison sites you can visit. These sites have people that run tests with the anti-spyware software. They let you know exactly what's what. What doesn't work, what does work, and usually they also have a "top" list that allows you to see the top ten or the top 5 best anti-spyware programs out there. These anti-spyware comparison sites also let you know about other infectious virus's like adware and malware. Just a quick little update:
- Spyware - This is software that secretly gathers information about a user while he/she navigates the Internet
- Adware - The difference between Adware and Spyware is very subtle. Both Adware and Spyware is installed without the user's permission on a machine. An Adware's main purpose is to display targeted ads based on the user behaviour it is tracking
- Malware - Short for malicious software, a program or file that is designed to specifically damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus, worm, or a Trojan horse
Needless to say the above three infections are NOT things you want on your computer! On a lot of these sites you probably will see software programs like AdAware, SpyBot Search And Destroy, Spyware Nuker, Pest Control and others. In my personal experience it seems that by using AdAware (note not adware) and SpyBot my computer is always bug free. But some people prefer other programs like the ones listed above. It really depends on your personal preference. But if you really have absolutely no clue about adware, spyware or malware protection, these spyware comparison sites are probably the perfect route for you to take. They include things like:
Comments
Free scan or not
Popularity
Satisfaction
Ease of use
Current rating
much more!
If you would like to find sites like this, you could try looking on the following sites below:
2009 Software Reviews
PC Tools
Spyware Warrior
PC World
Consumer Search
CNET
It doesn't matter which site you decide to go to or what software you decide to try, please remember to always update when the software asks you to! There are several people out there (as said above) that don't update when asked to and then they wonder why they received a potential threat to their computer! Updates are necessary!
Antivirus Anti Spyware Software
There is another piece of software that you should get in order to keep a safe secure computer, it's called anti spyware. Spyware is software that can do a number of tasks and some can be extreme dangerous therefore you need to eradicate them as soon as possible. If you're on a budget you can download free versions which will be able to provide sufficient security against spyware.
Anti spyware software works in two ways, it will provide you with real time protection in the same way that virus protection software does. It will scan any incoming data to ensure that they are spyware free and that they cannot harm your computer. When you initially get the software you can scan your computers hard drive to see if you currently have spyware installed on your pc. If it comes back saying it has found them you have the option to quarantine them and dispose them in a controlled manner.
You have to be sure that you check for updates regularly as having out of date anti spyware software is just as bad as not having them, new spyware is being produced on a daily basis and in order to catch them before they infect your pc you have to update the definitions so that the software recognises them as a threat.
If you looking for a reputable anti spyware software to help defend your pc then you will be overwhelmed for choice, you should always do background checks of the software your about to install to ensure that they can offer what they say. Check past users reviews to see how well they got on with them as this factor cannot be ignored. Try to go with a popular company, even if you have to pay a small fee, at least you can guarantee that they will protect your sensitive data.
There are many free software packages available that will perform a thorough check and flag up the majority of spyware, it's just a case of searching for it. This research prior to picking an anti spyware software will save you a lot of money and hassle in the future. If you were to get infected with spyware it can be a nightmare resolving the issue. In the worse cases you may have to format and reinstall your operating system forcing you to loose certain information which you may have needed.
Both Kristi Ambrose & Andy Tao are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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