Avg Antivirus Article

Getting Rid of Spyware

No matter where you go on the web, someone is trying to infiltrate your system. From web sites placing simple logon cookies, to paid advertising tracking your movements on the web, to malicious software that is designed to record your keystrokes and discover passwords, Spyware and Adware have together become a big problem.
Many of these programs are simply dangerous and seriously threaten your online privacy and identity. Even the simple and supposedly benign Adware programs can cause you serious problems.

Spyware is any program that installs itself onto your computer with the intent to spy on your activity. This can be recording your online searching habits, or whatever you type on your keyboard. Adware is not much better. It is designed to watch what you do online, where you go, which terms you search for and then report this to the ad agency that runs the program.

Many, if not most, advertisers on the internet will try and place a cookie or other small program on your computer. Many will add code that will track that cookie as it hits different pages. The code may be designed simply to gather anonymous data, or it may be trying to send ads to your browser that the advertising company thinks you will be more likely to respond to.

Whatever the case, the Adware or Spyware is using your computer to do its tracking. This means that part of your computer’s power and CPU cycles are being diverted away from the activity you are trying to perform. Your computer is being used by someone else instead to track your movements. These programs can literally slow your computer down to a crawl, or make it crash altogether. They can fill your computer up with trash files, open unwanted popup windows, use up the space in your internet cache and generally just make working on your computer a nightmare.

Luckily there are several easy solutions to the problem. Spyware and Adware are not the same thing as a computer virus or Trojan Horse. Although a computer virus can install spyware on a computer, you will need different tools to remove a computer virus and to keep your system clean from Spyware and Adware. There are several good Spyware/adware programs on the market.

Good programs are Ad-aware from Lavasoft and Spy Sweeper from Webroot Software although there are several others. You can easily find both of these by doing an internet search for Ad-aware and Spy Sweeper or simply do a search for spyware.

Getting Rid of Pop up Windows!

Where can you go to get a pop up blocker for your computer? Pop Up Windows are annoying and worse than that, they are dangerous for your computer. Pop up ads can cause viruses or put spyware into your computer without your knowledge. So to cut down on or, hopefully, completely rid yourself of pop up ads, get yourself a good pop up blocker. When you go to get your pop up blocker, you should check online, or your local computer store.

The first place, ideally, to look for a pop up blocker is online. There are many legitimate free download sites that offer pop up blockers. Generally, you can download them directly from the site and have them working in no time. If you go that route, though, just keep in mind that you will likely have to wait a week or two to get your pop up blocker. As you peruse the internet for your pop up blocker, though, be careful that you only download what you know. Make sure it is a legitimate site from which you are downloading and that the pop up blocker is a legit.

The second place to get a pop up blocker is off the shelf of your local computer store. Many of the software programs you have or put on your computer, especially internet browsers, already have a pop up blocker. However, you can buy other pop up blockers off of the shelf at your local computer store. Go in, speak with a computer technician, and find out which one will work best for you. It is often said that you get what you pay for, and sometimes pop up blockers are that way, so buying one at the store can prove to be a worthwhile investment over a free one off the internet.

Word of mouth is a powerful consumer report, so talk to people who have downloaded blockers, bought them, or is just using the ones that came with their existing software. You will quickly find out what is worth your time and money and which is not. Asking around is a great idea so that you can make the most of your money.

Pop up blockers are almost a necessity anymore. You likely do not enjoy or want to read the pop ups that litter your browser every time you find your way to the wrong internet site. Instead, you want to be able to browse the internet with speed and with peace of mind that you aren't getting bombed with the viruses and spyware that can be associated with those pop ups. So check out the internet or go to your local computer store.