Protect Your Privacy

By: Matt Garrett

The internet is evolving rapidly as its uses grow in number and
variety. More and more users are shopping online, chatting with
their friends, or just browsing the web for something
interesting. But the net isn't an entirely safe place; some
people out there are waiting to take advantage of you and invade
your privacy. There are some special kinds of computer program
that can help to protect yourself against such threats. Let's
see how a simple free spyware remover program can help.

· How does it work? Spyware programs are little pieces of
software that transmit information about you and your computer
to someone else on the internet. It can follow your net usage to
see what kind of web-sites you prefer, which programs you use or
where you do your online shopping. Some can read private
documents, including e-mail and credit card numbers. To prevent
this from happening, it is advisable that you protect your
computer using a free spyware remover.

· How does spyware get on your computer? You don't install
spyware, but spyware gets installed on you. They are often part
of other free programs that you download from undependable
sources on the web or borrow from your friends. It's like an
add-on that may or may not be mentioned in the small print,
which is something that nobody ever reads.

· How do you recognize spyware? If you've been experiencing
unexplained pop-ups lately, or been receiving a lot of unwanted
mail, then try to remember if you installed some unverified
software on your machine in recent times. If yes, then it is
quite probable that you have spyware on your computer. In some
cases, you may receive unwanted info about products that are
somehow related to something you told a friend in a past e-mail
conversation. If that keeps happening, it's almost an
unmistakable sign of spyware activity.

· How do you remove spyware? The simplest and easiest way to get
rid of spyware is to install a free remover that you can
download from the internet. Often internet service providers
know about the problems created by spyware, and can recommend
you a good free remover or they can give you one. Just ask them
which one is right and tell them what symptoms you have been
experiencing: too much spam, or your computer slowing down
because of too many pop-ups. It is very easy to install a free
spyware remover, just by following the steps and clicking on the
'next' button. If you think one program is not effective, you
can always uninstall it and download another.

· How to prevent spyware? You can prevent spyware by reading up
on web security and by being choosy about what software you
install on your computer. After all, prevention is always better
than cure. But just to be on the safe side, it is a good idea to
keep a free spyware remover on your machine and check things
once in a while. If you want a more professional solution than
the free versions provide, you can buy a pro spyware remover.
Remember, you have the right to your privacy, and nobody has the
right to invade it, unless they have a valid legal/moral reason
or your specific consent.

About the author:
Matt Garrett GhostSurf
Anonymous Surfing www.XoftSpy.co.uk