Protecting Your Computer from Spyware and Adware

What is spyware/adware?

Adware is software that displays advertisements on your computer. These are ads that inexplicably pop up on your display screen, even if you're not browsing the Internet. Some companies provide "free" software in exchange for advertising on your display. It's how they make their money.

Spyware is software that sends your personal information to a third party without your permission or knowledge. This can include information about Web sites you visit or something more sensitive like your user name and password. Unscrupulous companies often use this data to send you unsolicited targeted advertisements.

How do I know if my computer has been infected with spyware/adware?

If you computer is running more slowly or you notice extra toolbars in Internet Explorer you probably have been infected with spyware or adware.

How do I get rid of spyware/adware?

At school: Send me an email and I will run spyware/adware detection and removal programs on your computer.

At home: Download detection programs and run them on your computer. Two of the most popular ones are Spybot S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/) and AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/). You actually need to run both of them for the best chance of removing all the spyware/adware on your machine.

How can I prevent spyware/adware from getting on my computer?

There is no 100% effective way to prevent it except for never using the Internet. There are however a few things you can do to reduce your risk:

• Never install anything on your computer that you are not 100% confident of the source. This means actually reading the windows that pop up instead of just clicking OK.
• Be wary of free software programs – the reason many of them are free is that they package adware with them. If you really need to install it read the entire license agreement – if a company is legitimate they will disclose anything they are installing along with their program.
• Beware of known sources of spyware: AOL Instant Messenger, Napster, LimeWire, Alexa, Wild Tangent and Gator are just a few well know programs which are spyware or contain spyware elements.