Has your computer been acting strangely lately?Lets face it, about 95% of people who actively surf the internet have computers which are infected by spyware.So what is spyware and how does it get into your computer system.Spyware is constantly spreading and is infecting lots more computers every single day. So what is it? Spyware programs come in many different shapes and sizes but all have a couple of things in common. Spyware infects your computer while you surf the internet without you even knowing about it,spyware can also gain access to and send your personal information from your computer to other computers without you even knowing, and apart from the fact that it can be VERY difficult to find, trying to uninstall or disable it successfully can be a mission.

Lets have a look at some methods of how spyware can infect your computer as well as the common symptoms.

1. An Email Disguised as an innocent file or some form of attachment. Once you open the email it goes to work by infecting your computer.

2. Website- Passed via your browser by bad websites. Once again disguised as an innocent download of some sort. Once the download is installed and run, you are already infected. Some websites are also able to use cookies which they use to track your movement when surfing from website to website.Despite this, do not become too worried and block all your cookies. Some websites do use cookies for legitimate reasons. 3.Sometimes spyware can be bundled together with other programs without your knowledge.

Symptoms of spyware include:

1.Your Home Page - The Changing of your browsers default home page is a common symptom used by many spyware programs. So if your home page suddenly changes to a different homepage automatically then you might be infected with Spyware.

2. Sometimes strange new websites pop up in your favorites. This is also a common symptom as a result of spyware programs. The occurrence that certain websites often come back when your computer restarts even if deleted can be another trick of spyware programs.

3.Very slow computer - You should check if your computer is running slower than usual. A lot of spyware programs use a lot of your computers memory to run.So If you notice that your computer is chugging along,once again odds are that it is most likely infected with spyware.

4.Lots of pop up adverts. If you suddenly start receiving more pop up adverts than normal, you might have a problem. Spyware programs can also be used to serve popup ads while you browse the internet,or even only when your internet connection is on. Most are adult website type pop ups while others may appear to come from harmless site.