Signs Your PC is Infected With Spyware
Spyware is software that gathers personal information about users without their consent or even knowledge. Their personal information is recorded through numerous techniques like logging keystrokes, recording Internet web browsing history, and scanning documents on the computer's hard disk.
Information collected can be utilized in a number of ways that may be harmful for the user. Certain kinds of spyware track the sites visited by the user and send the information to advertising agencies. The more dangerous ones capture passwords or credit card numbers as a user inserts them into a web form or other applications.
Symptoms Showing That Spyware Has Infected Your Computer
1: Slow Computer Performance
One of the most common indications that your PC is infected is that the performance slows down to a great extent. Spyware programs use up a lot of space and resources in your computer. As a result, the PC slows down. You might also experience more crashes.
2: Symptoms in email
Spamware can send spam messages from your PC and cause a lot of annoyance for you. Trojan spamware is very risky because it can steal a copy of your online address book and send it back to an email spammer. Be extremely wary of any emails with attachments, unless it is someone you know it's best to either delete it or scan the file with your choosen spyware scanner.
3: New shortcuts or homepages on the Desktop
Some spyware programs insert new shortcuts on your desktop. Browser hijackers can really alter your default homepage to a different one. At times, you will not be able to revert to your original homepage.
4: Extensive Pop-Up Ads
Another common spyware sign is that it barrages you with pop-up ads often for adult or other offensive web sites. Computer hijackers like this can ruin your computer.
5: Unwelcome Search Results
Spyware even has the capacity to change your search results and make you see those websites that the hijacker wants you to see.
6: New Toolbars
Spyware has the capacity to add new toolbars to Internet Explorer without your knowledge. And at times, you cannot remove them in any way.
The moment you realize that your computer is infected with spyware you must take corrective actions immediately. You can do the following:
First and foremost, try to identify the programs that might be affected with spyware. You can do so by scrutinizing the Windows Task Manager to check which are the programs taking up the most of the system resources.
Just press CTRL - ALT - DEL on your keyboard and select the tab labeled "Processes". You can arrange the columns by clicking on the column heading. Arrange the column labeled "CPU". By looking through this sorted column, you can identify if any of the programs currently running are taking up too more of your system resources.
Secondly, if you find out that the suspected program is spyware, you need to run a quality spyware scanner to detect and remove any spyware infections. You must also try to find out how your computer gets infected. Once you know that you must ensure that you do not repeat the same mistake.
There are numerous ways this could happen, including downloading free programs or visiting particular websites. It's best that you're conscious of these diverse ways spyware can contaminate your system so you can easily avoid the problem on the whole. A little learning and the correct tools will go a long way to keep your computer spyware-free.
