Has your pc been behaving a little strangely? Perhaps its running too slow – way too slow. Maybe you find yourself bombarded with irritating adverts. Perhaps you have seen some odd programs open in the processes or the background, or something strange starts and closes quickly when you start up, shut down or restart?

This is probably all the work of spyware – insidious software that you probably didn't install but somehow managed to get anyway.

How did I get spyware if I didn't install it?

Well, spyware can often embed itself onto unsuspecting websites while waiting for an unsuspecting computer user to visit that website. The spyware then takes advantage of certain security issues with your operating system, which basically means it finds a hole or way through your internet security, installs a small program on your system which allows it to then pull the bigger spyware program through at its leisure – either through popping up with adverts and forcing you to click and download its software, or hijacking your internet browser, or just quietly downloading in the background.

Even if you DID install the spyware, you may not have not known what it is or thought it was something else. Now you might find that when you want to uninstall the software it does not let you.

What does it do?

Spyware is designed to gather info and send the info to its creator, who then probably sells the info to the highest bidder. Its a fairly dark art, spyware, and in most cases breaks ethical and even lawful boundaries to a great degree.

Because it is monitoring what you are doing (sometimes even collecting your passwords and such) your computer slows down considerably. The monitoring program eats a lot of the computer's resources, so if you check some strange things running in your processes then you have another sign that spyware has infected your computer.

Getting rid of spyware with anti spyware software

Much the same as viruses need anti-virus programs, spyware requires anti spyware software. Virus programs may be able to detect the spyware or remove it, but most of them aren't entirely effective in removing spyware, and the spyware will inevitably come back later when it has updated itself or a regular program in the registry of windows is commanded to run.

This is why you need to get anti spyware software that is geared towards getting rid of spyware only – and that will clean your registry entries and scan your processes, looking for any anomaly. Spyware embeds itself deep into your operating system like Windows, often piggy backing off of legit Windows processes or programs, in order to go by undetected. Anti spyware software is usually updated with the latest knowledge in what spyware there is out there, and therefore can get it better than an anti-virus can, which focuses mainly around viruses only.

Getting anti spyware software won't hurt, and often doesn't break the bank either. Plus, many anti spyware software's offer you a 14 day trial so you can check it out. To be honest, with the potential danger of spyware spying on you and taking your info, you can't really afford to go without anti spyware software.