You have heard all the talk about spyware blockers, anti-virus software, and ad blockers.
You may be wondering how you can tell if you need those programs.
The quick and simple answer is, if you surf the Internet, you need them.
Spyware in particular is everywhere.
If you don't have a good blocker in place right now, chances are your computer has many different adware files installed on it.
Have you noticed your computer being slower than usual lately? This can be a sign of a lot of things but it is also one of the most common symptoms of having a computer filled with malicious files.
Have you ever had your home page changed or tried to visit a site and been redirected? That can happen when you have malicious files on your computer.
The worst thing about adware is that it can sit on your computer totally undetected by you and constantly send information about your surfing habits to the owner of the spyware.
If you visit shopping sites then you surely have spyware as it is very commonly used for marketing research.
Okay, not all spyware is malicious.
The kind used for marketing research just places itself on your computer without your permission and follows you around the Internet.
It might not be nefarious but it is somewhat creepy.
Som adware is dangerous though.
Thankfully it is not as common, but its intent is to get onto your computer so it can look through your files for personal data it can steal.
Spyware blockers can keep all of those files off of your computer, both the dangerous ones and the kind that are used for marketing purposes.
The blocker runs in the background, in real time and blocks the files before they can be downloaded onto your hard drive.
Spyware blockers can also remove malicious files once they have found a way onto your computer.
It works just like a virus scan except the program looks for spyware instead of a virus.
Spyware blockers are one component of safe surfing.
As a responsible computer owner, you should learn all you can about protecting your computer and your privacy from companies and hackers that want to spy on your for their own purposes.
It is virtually impossible to tell where you will run into spyware on the Internet.
It is everywhere and you probably come into contact with it every day.
Do you need Spyware Blockers? If you have an anti-virus program installed, you may already be protected against spyware too.
It is important for you to find out and if you are not, buy a separate program and install it yourself.
It will give you peace of mind that your computer is kept clean and no one is stealing your personal data.