Spyware is that stuff that’s bundled with a lot of free software, or that some websites try to sneak onto your system. It can be troublesome by slowing down your computer and causing the computer to crash, but it’s also pretty scary in that it watches your online activity.

It can also cause potentially expensive damage to your computer. Case in point, my worse spyware infection was when my system was infected with spyware that wormed its way so deep into my computer that it actually took control of my system’s Internet connection. It didn’t get my password, but it determined whether or not my system could connect to the ‘net at all.

So of course, removing the spyware completely broke my computer’s Internet connection. Thankfully there are other computers in the house and I have enough technical inclination to figure out what was wrong, and to fix it. It required a few hours of reading forums to find the answer, then I had to boot into safe mode to patch some Windows system files.

Would your average user know how to do that? Maybe, maybe not, but how much does your local repair joint charge to fix computers?

It would be remiss of me not to mention either Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware, a couple of free tools that help to remove spyware. However, there are also commercial tools available that remove spyware, and I don’t have any hesitation recommending products from Webroot.

I’ve used software from Webroot myself, and I have been familiar with them for years. In fact I used their first product way back when, and if I’m not entirely mistaken it has evolved into their product that they now call “Window Washer”.

Today they also offer a product called Spy Sweeper which is an inexpensive and very effective solution to the spyware problem. This software has won some very nice wards from reviewers even as recently as this year.

The free solutions are good, but I always tell people that they can’t rely on just one solution. Bugs will always slip through such limited protection. Webroot’s products are very good, and Spy Sweeper would make the perfect addition to your computer’s protection against harmful Internet infections.

Check ‘em out. It’s a good company with some good awards to back them up.

~Steph

Technorati Tags: Spyware, anti-spyware, Internet security