Summary

Hopefully by now you've developed a better understanding of spyware: what it is, how you can avoid it, and how you can protect your computer and your important files from being lost to a spyware or virus infection. We started things out here with a discussion of exactly what spyware is and how it can affect you and your computer. Spyware can range in form from simple annoying pop-up windows when you open up your web browser, all the way to keystroke loggers that can record your personal information as you type it on your keyboard. In most cases, you'll become infected with spyware by downloading unsafe software or by browsing to a website that contains malicious code, though you can even be infected with spyware through no actions of your own by hackers exploiting flaws in the Windows operating system. We also looked at the differences between viruses and spyware, and why having anti-virus protection on your computer may not be enough to shield you from spyware infections.

We then discussed steps that you can take to protect yourself from spyware infections, including configuring automatic software updates for Windows and installing a personal firewall to prevent Internet intruders from accessing your computer. We followed this up with an overview of some of the more prevalent anti-spyware software programs: LavaSoft Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and the Microsoft AntiSpyware tool. And since not only was Murphy an optimist but I actually think he worked in IT, we closed out with step-by-step instructions to configure backups for the important personal files stored on your home computer. Armed with this knowledge, you should be well on your way to living a spyware-free Internet existence. In the appendix that follows, I'll provide you with a number of online resources that you can turn to for more information about spyware and ways to protect yourself from it.