It is believed that nearly 90% of internet users are infected with spyware or adware. While not all spyware is malicious in nature many were created by crafty people with that very intent in mind. So when it comes to your privacy, it would be prudent to be safe than sorry. Most spyware run silently in the background recording information about your movements on the internet and are sent back to the originator of the spyware to be used for market research. Other spyware can be much more devasting to your privacy. Often times termed as keystroker loggers, will actually record the keystrokes to use when you are surfing the internet and therefore recording your username and passwords.

The most common way to get your computer infected is downloading the many shareware or free software products out there that are bundled with spyware or adware additions. File swapping and music software are common culprits in this regard.

Once you've installed the unsuspecting software, like viruses, adware and spyware programs can sneak into a user's computer hard drive with little or no warning and can hide their tracks in ways that make it difficult for even the most sophisticated computer users to find and permanently delete. Even the uninstall facility often times does little in removing the actual spyware or adware component.

As adware and spyware have spread, demand for applications that clean up infected hard drives has grown, drawing a large group of competitors eager to profit. More than 50 programs claiming to erase adware and spyware are available online, and many of these are offered as free downloads. Several major Internet service providers, including EarthLink and America Online, have also moved to provide spyware-removal applications to their subscribers.

While this might sound like your prayers have been answered don't be to quick to believe that all spyware removal software actually do what they claim. In fact, recently there has been news of so-called spyware-killing programs that install the same kind of unwanted advertising software they promise to erase. Spyware and adware makers have seen an opportunity to profit from the publics fears and started writing so called spyware removal software that install the very thing they are claiming to remove, while some have even gone as far as removing their competitors spyware so that theirs could be installed.

So before you go out and buy the next spyware removal software make sure you have done your research.