What to do about spyware?

The word "spy" rarely gives you a calming, settling feeling.

Unfortunately, they are everywhere. Companies spy on their business competitors, countries spy on their enemies and neighbors, wives spy on their husbands.

That is in real life. In virtual life, it is not that different. Unscrupulous programmers create and spread those little pieces of software all over the Internet.

Suddenly, your computers are infected by these bugs, and your online activities are recorded and collected. Just as suddenly, your privacy is gone and you are bombarded by unwanted advertisements that waste your bandwidth.

Do you really have to worry about spyware programs? You bet you do! They can corrupt your Registry, making it impossible for Windows to load. They can steal your usernames and passwords. They can change your homepage address. They enable people to steal your identity.

And what are the telltale signs that your PC is already infected? You should start to worry if your machine suddenly becomes noticeably sluggish, or if you have pop-ups that go out of control, or if you get funny results from your searches.

This type of malignant software is also known as spyware. It is a member of a group that you can call malware. The bad news is that the malware makers are getting more sophisticated by the minute.

The digital James Bonds of yesteryear simply cannot compare with their reincarnation. Even if you succeed in killing one, it will automatically resurrect itself in no time.

The good news -- although lesser than the bad -- is that there are plenty of spyware killers that you can get from the Web for free or for a fee.

It is not the good news that you would wish to hear, as it still requires you to spend a significant amount of your precious time just to swat the digital mosquitoes that those low-lifes have created.

What should you do if your PC is already infected? If you have plenty of time and your system has become a jungle full of installed trial versions of new software programs, you can back up your data and reformat your entire hard disk. There is no guarantee, though, that the next time you get online you will not be infected again.

Ad-Aware is still the most popular spyware killer out there that you can download from the Internet. Another is Spybot Search and Destroy (Spybot S&D). A great "Swiss Army knife" is All-in- one Secretmaker 3.9.8.1.

You can download any of these spyware exterminators from CNet's Download.com (www.download.com). In fact, you can get tons of information on malware from this site.

Time is money, so you would want to spend your time more productively. Here is one small tip that will help you avoid spyware: If you suddenly see a picturesque screensaver, or comical emoticons, or a seemingly benevolent offer to scan your computers for viruses, never click on the OK button.

Use Alt-F4 to close that window, or click on the X at the top right-hand corner of the window.

Do not click on the No button, as you never know that No actually means Yes. That's spyware, isn't it? --Zatni Arbi