What is Spyware? Why is it so bad? The definition of Spyware is: a category of programs that attach themselves to your individual operating system by opening or clicking on certain offers or pop up ads. They track your computing habits, where you go on the Internet and will trouble you with unwanted ads to generate visits to their Web site. Spyware is not a computer virus. A virus is a code designed to multiply itself as many times as possible and spread to computers that are connected to it. Viruses can be passed on through e-mail and attachments that are sent with e-mail.

Spyware does not usually damage your computer. It does get into your computer without your consent and hides in the background. It often makes unwanted changes and gives you targeted advertisements or leads your browser to special sites or search results. Some of the worst Spyware companies are Gator, Bonzi Buddy, and CoolWebSearch. Most Spyware only targets Windows operating systems. It can hog RAM and processor power causing your computer to run slow.

Spyware gets onto your computer by something you have done. You may have clicked on a pop-up window, adding a software package often called freeware or shareware, and agreeing to add a software package that is supposed to add new functions to your Web browser.

Piggybacked software installation, especially shareware or freeware often have Spyware included in their standard install. If you're in the habit of downloading free software or shareware, you may download Spyware to your computer.

Another way of getting Spyware is a pop-up window, which automatically tries to download and install a program on your computer. You may only get a warning from your browser letting you know the name of the software and asking you if it's ok to install it. Be careful what buttons you are pushing when items pop up on your screen.

Another method of picking up Spyware is through Browser add-ons. These are cute little animated pals or additional search boxes that may include elements of Spyware as part of the deal. Some add-ons are browser hijackers. These are hard to get rid of as they embed themselves deep in your computer.

One of the worst Spyware tricks is to masquerade as an anti-Spyware. It will try to convince you it is a tool to detect and remove Spyware from your system. We have all seen the little pop up box that looks like it comes from Microsoft Internet Explorer. It invites you to scan your computer free and get a free spam blocker. When you run the file, it will tell you that your computer is clean, but it installs additional Spyware of its own.

When Spyware runs an application in the background, it can generate many pop-up ads, which in turn will slow down your program. It can reset your home page every time you open your computer, or redirect your Web searches. It can control the results that you see and make your search engine almost useless.

Some types of Spyware can change Internet settings so when you connect through your dial-up service, it will default to pay telephone numbers. These can be expensive and you might not know it is happening until you are hit with a high phone bill. It can also change your fire wall settings to allow more unwanted software to be attached to your computer.

Some Spyware programs are used to make web traffic statistics look better then they are. They can force tons of pop-up ads and create fake search results. In this way, they can claim credit for displaying the ad to you repeatedly, and if you click the ad by accident, it counts as someone expressing interest in the advertised product.

Stealing affiliate credits is another use of Spyware. Shopping sites like Amazon.com and Ebay offer credits to a Web site that successfully directs traffic to their item pages. All affiliates want the credit for sending someone to their websites.

You can protect yourself from Spyware, by running a trusted Spyware detector and removal program. Three programs that are free and trustworthy are, Adaware, Spybot, and Microsoft AntiSpyware.