Beware of Anti-Spyware!

This is certainly one of the hackers' greatest ideas. People want to be safe from spyware so they install programs that are supposed to kill any threat of this kind. Now, what the hackers are doing is cleverly disguising spyware as anti-spyware. This is a clever thing indeed. They have always used credible stuff to deploy spam and stuff like that, but I have to admit that I would have never thought they were going to do something like this.

Just think about it - one person reads an article about how nasty spyware can be and decides to install something to protect against it. Instinctively, they search the web and find one free anti-spyware tool. Thing is, that tool may be malware! So only trust serious security firms that have a name in the business and only download from official sites.

What's spyware? Well, it's software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Often quickly installed in your computer in combination with a free download you selected from the Web, spyware transmits information in the background as you move around the Web. Also known as "parasite software," "scumware," "junkware" and "thiefware," spyware is occasionally installed just by visiting a Web site.

Of course anti-spyware is the program that fights this type of malware. It is often part of an anti-virus, but it can also be found separately. Here's a list of trusted anti-spyware programs as well as anti-viruses from which you can chose any. The download is secure and the software is not a hoax.

Also, you should always carefully read your EULA when installing any software, because some anti-spyware may be free at the beginning but after a period it can charge you money for its service, without even prompting you. So, please be careful!