Spyware Protection

Here is a list of freeware or donationware programs that I highly recommend using in order to prevent, clean and/or notify you of Spyware. Be sure to periodically run and update these tools to stay on top of any new threats.

Microsoft Antispyware:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/
Spywareblaster:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spybot S&D:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Ad-Aware Personal Edition:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



From the most authoritative site on spyware - www.spywareinfo.com:

Spyware is software or hardware installed on a computer without the user's knowledge which gathers information about that user for later retrieval by whomever controls the spyware. Spyware can be broken down into two different categories, surveillance spyware and advertising spyware. Surveillance software includes key loggers, screen capture devices, and trojans. These would be used by corporations, private detectives, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, suspicious spouses, etc. Advertising spyware is software that is installed alongside other software or via activex controls on the internet, often without the user's knowledge, or without full disclosure that it will be used for gathering personal information and/or showing the user ads. Advertising spyware logs information about the user, possibly including passwords, email addresses, web browsing history, online buying habits, the computer's hardware and software configuration, the name, age, sex, etc of the user. As with spam, advertising spyware uses the CPU, RAM, and resources of the user's computer, making the user pay for the costs associated with operating it. It then makes use of the user's bandwidth to connect to the internet and upload whatever personal information it has gathered, and to download advertisements which it will present to the user, either by way of pop up windows, or with the ad banners of ad-supported software. All of this can be considered theft in the cases of advertising spyware that installs without disclosure.