Nowadays, spyware and adware programs pose a far greater threat to your internet security than the dreaded computer viruses. Indeed, spyware, adware, and other so-called malware (such as key loggers and trojan horses) are the single most serious online threat to your privacy and data security.

It is also a major cause of computer system slowdowns, as these types of programs typically consume valuable system resources such as RAM (memory) and hard drive space.
So, let's go over some fundamentals about spyware and adware, where they come from, what they are, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Spyware can take many different forms and disguises, but in essence, it is a program or piece of information that is secretly installed on your computer and sends data about you or your computer habits to someone else on the Internet without your knowledge. This could be a company collecting data or a thief attempting to gain access to your computer or the information stored in your database (passwords, credit card details and so on).

Spyware is also a program that places unwanted advertisements on your computer, most commonly in the form of a malicious cookie. A cookie is a small piece of information that is placed in your web browser to track your web habits. In its most benign form, a cookie is useful because a web site can see you have visited it before and let you in without requiring you to register. Again, in its more benign form, a cookie can assist you by tracking your progress through a web store. They are also used to tailor website advertisements to your preferences and dislikes.

A cookie, on the other hand, is not a welcome guest on your PC when it is used for spyware or adware purposes!
Spyware programs can infiltrate your computer in a variety of ways. They may also arrive as an automatic download from a website you are visiting. Porn and online gambling sites, for example, are notorious for this.

If you download free or illegal software, spyware may be embedded in the installation process, or spyware may infiltrate your computer via an email attachment that you should not have opened. (Tip: If you receive an e-mail from an unknown source with an attachment, DO NOT OPEN IT - it's almost certainly some sort of program that you don't want!)

Spyware and adware are bad for a number of reasons:
They consume valuable system resources such as memory and hard disk space. If your computer is running much slower than it used to, it is most likely infected with spyware. If you have never run a spyware scan, it is almost certain that spyware is slowing down your system.

They can seriously jeopardize your privacy and security by disclosing information about your computer habits to third parties. For example, spyware can capture your keystrokes and send them to a third party by installing a keylogger.
Thieves may gain access to your user IDs and passwords as a result of this.
Other programs, such as trojans, allow someone to remotely log into your computer and use it for their own purposes, such as sending spam or launching malicious attacks on other computers on the Internet, making it appear as though you are at fault.

So it's a bad situation! Let's take a look at how to get rid of it.
There are numerous anti-spyware programs available, both paid and free, and, as with all things in life, some are better than others. The question that is frequently asked is whether a free program or a paid program is preferable.

The simple answer is that a combination of the two is the best approach, and, unlike anti-virus programs, you can run multiple anti-spyware programs on your system without issue.

The first step is to download and install the completely free Spybot Search and Destroy program, which will remove 70-85% of all known spyware.
Then, spend a little money on a good paid program, such as Spyware Doctor, NoAdware, or Spyware Nuker, to do the job for you. Yes, I understand that it will cost money, but if it can prevent someone from stealing your credit card information, for example, it will be money well spent.

Another advantage of paid programs is that they are generally more effective and "pro-active" than free programs. In other words, they are usually far better at preventing spyware and adware from entering your computer in the first place, and clearly, preventing the problem is far easier and less time consuming than dealing with it once your computer has become infected.