What is Spyware? Is the Threat Real?

What is spyware? Well, it is a type of software used by hackers and other unscrupulous individuals to spy on you and then steal your personal and financial information. Most of us are very private people, even when we are on the computer. We don't want people looking over our shoulders, seeing the sites we visit, our credit card numbers, the software we download, and so on. But, when spyware has been installed on your computer, that's pretty much what's happening. Only, instead of someone looking over your shoulder to see your information, the spyware takes your information directly from your computer and sends it to the computer of an outside third party. Someone who probably doesn't have the best of intentions.

Different types of spyware can do different things. For example, if you have ever been taken to a site you had no intention of visiting, and can't quite figure out how that happened, spyware might be to blame. If you just got a huge bill for calling a 900 number that you have never even heard of, let alone called, that too can be the fault of malicious spyware.

One thing spyware is often used for is stealing your information, especially your financial information. As scary as it might sound, unscrupulous individuals don't need much to steal your identity. A credit card number, social security number, or bank account number is all it really takes. And spyware can make this type of information pretty easy for them to get. Before you know it, your bank account has been cleaned out, your credit cards have been maxed out, and your credit has been destroyed. And getting things back in order will be a long, drawn out battle.

Spyware is nasty, and there's almost no end to the amount of trouble it can cause you once it has been installed-without you even knowing it-on your computer. But learning how to scan your computer for spyware, and then safely remove it, is the best way to protect your computer, your information, and yourself.

M. Brandon Wilson has spent years researching various topics and reporting on them to help consumers make informed decisions. This idea gave birth to Mr. Wilson's new project, the Expert Research Index. The first branch of this new project is the Best Spyware Remover: Expert Research Index site, a great resource for information on Spyware Removal Programs.