Adware – A Case of the Nasties

Posted on: 2005-11-04 16:30:32
Author: Francis Mettarod

Most of us have computers nowadays. Most of us are aware that some of our information may not be private and our computers could be vulnerable to outside interferences such as viruses. We all try to be sure our computers are secure. In addition to viruses, we must be careful not to invite Adware and Spyware onto our computers. These include annoying popup ads that you can't seem to get rid of.

Well, you can get rid of them, but you must be vigilant about it. Get a good spyware or adware removal program. There are many of these available. On the recommendation of a computer geek friend, I've been running Ad Aware and Norton Antivirus, as well as a McAfee Firewall to protect my computer. I know there are lots of programs out there. Your choices are partly determined by how much you want to spend and what you want them to do.

Most of these programs offer both free download versions and upgrades to a version you pay for. It's up to you how you'd like to handle your computer. If it seems to be running fine and you're not seeing a lot of weird things popping up all the time, you may want to go with the freebies to begin with. However, if you start seeing problems, it may be better to buy one of the better versions to use. The more sophisticated versions have many added features for better protection.

Do a web search for the words adware, spyware, virus, and Trojan and you'll come up with sites offering their reviews of the various types of programs available. Talk to your computer geek friends. They may be your best resource for advice on which ones they like. Then, once you have installed the protective programs, either set them up to run automatically once a week or set a reminder in your calendar to do so regularly. They only work when you use them!

Francis Mettarod has been working for his company's IT department for over a decade. Part of his job is maintaining the security and privacy of the company email. Read more articles about adware at S H Adware