Are You Infected With Spyware?

Just about everyone with a computer these days is connected to the web. And we all need to be aware of the various threats in Cyberspace and invest a little time making sure we're not a risk from hackers, spyware makers and viruses. While most computer users are aware of viruses, spyware is a huge problem. Dell, for example, reports that 20% of it's tech support calls involve spyware. In this article, we look at some of the indicators that you've been infected with spyware.

• You're noticing an increase in pop-up ads on your computer, even when you stick to trusted websites.
• Your Internet browser starts taking you to sites you didn't want it to. This is a sign that your browser has been hijacked. A very common spyware infection.
• If you've noticed new toolbars have appeared in your web browser that you don't remember installing. Tool bars are strips that appear at the top of your web browser. They usually have bright graphics on them and possibly a search bar.
• New unfamiliar icons appear on your system tray. This is the section of tiny icons that are towards the bottom right of your computer screen.
• Certain keyboard keys stop working.
• You are receiving strange, random error messages.
• Your computer is running slowly when trying to open programs or save files. Or you're hearing a lot of disk churning - that strange rumbling noise - coming from your PC.
• When you start your web browser, your homepage (the first page that pops up) has changed from what it used to be.

• Make sure you keep your computer up-to-date with the latest patches. They always seem to appear at inconvenient times, but they're important. It's also essential to keep your web browser up-to-date. Widows, Mac OS or Linux all provide regular, free software patches to bridge gaps or close holes that can be exploited by spyware. So if you get a notification that there's a new version available, make sure you upgrade.
• Only download software from reliable websites. Downloading games, music and other files from peer-to-peer file-sharing programs can be appealing but it's also very risky. A lot of very tempting free software comes generously bundled with a nice batch of spyware too. The spyware programs are then installed and launched on your system without your knowledge. (It's also called Piggy-Backing)
• Never install any software unless you know precisely what it is. Take as much time as you need to understand exactly what software is included in the download. Read the user license agreement that may reveal the inclusion of spyware software in the program. Not the most exciting of reads, but important nonetheless.
• You can minimize the occurrence of "drive-by" downloads by making sure your Internet web browser security setting is medium to high.
• Never click on any links inside pop-up windows the link may install spyware onto your computer system. Always close pop-up windows by clicking the "x" icon located on the title bar. Or better still, by right-clicking in the taskbar and choosing close. Many pop-up windows look like they're legitimate warnings, but clicking on the 'OK' can prove hazardous.
• Most of us are used to dealing with suspicious emails. It goes without saying that you should never click links inside of spam e-mail messages. They may install spyware onto your computer.
• Download and install a personal firewall to prevent hackers from accessing your computer system. Firewall programs will block any unauthorized access to your computer system and alert the user of spyware already running on their system. Windows Vista and XP both have built-in firewalls. Make sure they're turned on.