We all know that computer viruses exist and have heard the many horror tales of how they can take out thousands of computers in one shot. Unfortunately for those whose computer has been damaged by a computer virus, these tales are not only true, but very destructive and time-consuming. However, even if you know how to protect your computer from one of these malicious viruses, there are other malware programs that can be almost as damaging and is far more common. The culprits are called spyware and adware.
These irritating programs can interfere with your computer every time you jump online. Adware is more or less harmless when settled onto your computer by itself. Mostly it simply generates a lot of spam (unsolicited and unwanted email) for products that bring advertising directly to your email. Adware can also produce “popup” ads on your computer.
Spyware, however, is much more threatening and dangerous to your computer. Spyware not only floods you with advertisements, but it also accesses information on your computer and delivers it to other companies and potentially dangerous people. Additionally, spyware can change your entire computer...