Everybody who has a PC has heard of computer viruses. But there is a new and growing threat to the security of your machine. That threat is spyware. These malicious programs do more than just cause disruption to your computer. They can be used by criminals to harvest personal information about you. This could be something as simple as what websites you visit. But more seriously they can be used to find out credit card numbers and bank account details.

A small industry has grown up to protect us from spyware. Some of the products created are free and others require the purchase of a licence. Here we'll have a look at AVG, a free spyware detector that can help protect your system. AVG is the brand name given to a range of products by the company Grisoft. This is a Czech company that has a heritage in creating acclaimed anti-virus products. The name AVG comes from their first product which was called Anti Virus Guard.

The AVG anti spyware product is a more recent addition to their security arsenal. This is a response to the ever-increasing threat from these malicious programs. This spyware product is generally regarded as one of the top freeware products that's available.

Detecting spyware requires a good deal of computing knowledge and a software infrastructure that is capable of being updated quickly when a threat is found. Can this be achieved by a free software product? Furthermore, can a free product actually be a bad deal? Here's what we found when we took this software for a quick trial.

Once you've found the website the product is quick to download and install. You should be in a position to use it almost straight away as there is no complicated set required.

The software will provide you with the ability to scan your computer system for the presence of spyware and then give you the option to remove them. You can carry out this function in the free version as often as you require, but it is generally recommended that you do it at least weekly. This does of course mean that in theory spyware could be on your computer for up to a week before your next scan is carried out. And let's face it, who is going to religiously remember to do a scan every week?

The ideal situation is to be able to prevent spyware getting onto your machine in real-time. These would give you the ultimate level of security. For this functionality you will need to upgrade from the free version to the Professional version. There is a charge for this product.

If you choose to opt for the Professional version you would also benefit from the free technical support line and automatic updates. For the modest fee that is involved, these upgrades are well worth considering.

As a product, AVG free spyware has a solid reputation and comes from a respected company that has a good history. You may also be interested to know that they have a free anti-virus program available for non-commercial use. It's certainly worthy of consideration if you need complete PC protection.