When you use your pc, if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, someone could be spying on you:



-Slow moving programs and overall slow computer performance

-Lots of pop-ups, particularly advertisements.

-Long periods of 'hanging' or frozen programs.

-Unusual activities such as changes to your Homepage URL

-New Toolbars or Icons that you have no recollection of installing

Spyware, also known as Adware, Malware, Badware and a host of other names could be installed on your computer and may be weighing down your resources and revealing personal things about you. Your computer fingerprint could also be out there in cyberspace doing things it shouldn't be and making it appear that you are at fault. Spyware programs can report your every keystroke to someone out there in cyberspace.

Many people restore their personal computers to an earlier date in order to rectify this problem. That can work temporarily but people often become re-infected when they don't have software installed to combat this problem.

Like Antivirus software, Anti-Spyware programs are nearly as essential for a computer as an operating system.

The makers of the Spyware could be using information from your surfing habits, recording your conversations, pulling personal information off your computer and out of the cache such as family photos, instant messaging conversations, personal banking information as well as passwords and pin numbers.

This may be happening for marketing reasons but could also be happening for more malicious reasons such as identity theft. Spyware programs can be seen as simple harmless and annoying pop-ups that slow down your surfing or browsing and change your computer settings. It might seem harmless but could in fact be extremely harmful. Your computer could become infected with viruses that erase your files, it could piggyback onto virus programs to infect the computers of friends and family members that you chat with or worse, affect your company computer and your company's network. Such a thing could cause numerous problems for you including your reputation.

Spyware can be contracted through many methods. If you download a file, it could be hidden within that file. Downloading freeware or shareware can also result in Spyware or Adware infection. Some trial versions online of Spyware Fighting programs are in fact Spyware or Malware themselves.

If you suspect your computer might be infected, you need to have something done as soon as possible to rectify this problem and prevent it from happening in the future.

Anti-Spyware programs exist that will eradicate your pc of these malicious programs or 'bugs' that are invading your privacy and potentially threatening your identity. Protect your computer and yourself.