Most everybody today is connected to the Internet. And as such, most of us are aware of something called spyware, and probably realize that it is a bad thing that we must protect ourselves against. But how exactly do we do that? In this article I’ll go over the basics, so you’ll know exactly what to do to protect yourself.
The general description of spyware is any software that gets installed on your computer for the purposes of secretly collecting information. Many different kinds of spyware exist for many different purposes and reasons. Basically, they all involve stealing your personal information that you would rather keep secret. Spyware can quickly slow your computer down to a crawl, and sometimes make connecting to the Internet impossible.
One particular application of spyware is a keylogger program. These software programs are designed to record every thing you type. Anonymous third parties can use them, but also parents and bosses can use them if they want to monitor exactly what is being typed on a particular computer. One bad way people can use a keylogger program is to steal your passwords or other sensitive information, like your credit card numbers, or your social security numbers.