Spyware is malware that gets inside your computer and can do a lot of nasty things. Not only can it record your browser history, make your computer work really slow, and make you have random pop-ups while browsing, it can steal your identity. Because of these possibilities, it is vital that you do whatever you can to prevent spyware from getting inside your computer and erasing it if it has already made a home inside your computer.

The best method for spyware removal and prevention is by buying software, which will cost you in the neighborhood of $40. You can also try out free programs such as Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. Keep in mind that there are a lot of ads out there advertising free spyware removal software, which are actually spyware in disguise. A lot of these ads you’ll see in pop-ups.

Yes, you’re going to need software if you don’t want spyware. But there are also things that you should do by yourself to prevent it…

Keep you operating system (OS) and browser on the newest version by updating them. Also, you may want to ditch Internet Explorer as it is the most used web browser and, as such, the most targeted for spyware.

Don’t use P2P file sharing networks. If you download something, you may very well be getting some type of malware. Some of these networks install spyware on your computer even if you don’t download music and/or movies from them.

Only download files from sites that you can trust. You should be very weary of downloading movies or music, especially ones that are free to download.

Your internet security setting, which you can adjust by going to tools, should be at decent levels (they should be at least medium).

Installing a firewall will make sure that someone cant get access to your computer from some remote place.

Stay clear of free toolbars from sources that are not trusted, as these toolbars can by spyware. You can, however, download toolbars from well-known and/or trusted sites such as Google.

Some popular advice is to read the license agreements and privacy statements of things that you download. Rather than doing this, just use some common sense and download from trusted sources.

Related Articles