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What Every Internet Marketer Should Know About Spyware
Written by: Michael Murray
If you run any type of Internet business, Adware and
Spyware can be a very serious issue. These programs hide
themselves on your computer and do all sorts of annoying
and potentially dangerous things.
Viruses spread on your PC. The good news is that Spyware
applications usually stay put, much like a parasite.
Spyware collects information about your messaging and
browsing behavior and your online preferences with the
intent to sell it to online advertisers.
Adware is an application which shows advertisements on your
PC, including banners and pop-ups. Some Adware programs
also track the usage behavior of the application user
without the knowledge of that user.
If you find ads constantly appearing on your computer, your
home page being changed repeatedly, mysterious toolbars
appearing on your browser, a noticeably slower PC, or any
other weird thing happening then chances are you have some
form of Spyware or Adware on your PC.
It's scary to know that you're being "watched", and that
your private information that you assume is safe may
actually be used against you. Adware/Spyware programs can
enter your PC through email, instant messaging, or
downloading files. It's especially scary for the Internet
marketer, because we are constantly purchasing and
downloading new products and services online.
If you let Adware pile up on your computer, things can get
pretty ugly. It was getting to the point where every time I
opened my browser a search toolbar would appear on top
(even though I kept uninstalling it) along with about 5
popup windows. I couldn't get any work done without some
kind of interruption every 2 minutes. Talk about annoying!
And running virus software such as Norton didn't help.
If you are finding yourself in the same situation, don't
despair. There are programs available (both free and paid)
to help you get Spyware and Adware off your PC. It is not
the intent of this article to try to sell you on any one
piece of software. In fact, I recommend starting with free
software, then evaluating your situation.
For Spyware, the best free program I've used is Spybot
Search & Destroy, which can be downloaded at:
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html
For Adware, the best free program I've used is Ad-Aware,
which can be downloaded at:
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html
These 2 programs got rid of most of the Spyware/Adware on
my machine, but I was still experiencing some problems so I
went ahead and purchased some software. There are a lot of
good programs out there that will get rid of both Spyware
and Adware with the push of one button. Most run between
$25-$40.
If you are still experiencing popups or other symptoms of
Spyware after running the free programs, do a little bit of
research and upgrade to a paid version. Most offer some
sort of guarantee, and the money you spend will be well
worth the headaches and annoyances of Spyware on your PC.
Michael Murray is a 22-year old full-time Internet marketer
and college student with Cerebral Palsy who lives in sunny
Orlando Florida. His latest site is an information center
on how to remove Adware & Spyware from your PC.
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