Spyware. Mac users, you can stop reading here. You don’t get spyware. Check out my other posts… If you use a Windows computer, you know what I’m talking about…. or maybe you don’t. Spyware is a type of malware (Malicious Software) that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. That’s bad.
Spyware is a compound problem. 1. It possibly gets information about you and your computer without your knowledge. 2. While doing so, it slows down your computer because it (most of the time) runs in the background where you don’t even know it’s there.
So, if you’re thinking, “My computer has gotten slower over the time I’ve had it…”, read on good sir or madam.
DISCLAIMER: Anti-Spyware is NOT an Anti-Virus app!
Any one Anti-Spyware application will catch all spyware, but this one comes close. I would say that 95% of the computers that I fix, have some sort of spyware on them. This application is one of the many that I use to get rid of said spyware:
Malwarebytes comes in a few different flavors. If you’re a consumer, like most of us, and plan to use it for your personal computer, there’s only a couple. The Free version, and the paid version.
- The free version is…. free. Just go download it and say no to the Pro version. You have to start the scan to take advantage of this app!
- The Paid (Pro) version has a one-time fee of $24.95. It’s worth it.
Here are the differnces:
The Pro version has one main feature that puts it over the edge: REALTIME Protection. This means that it will possibly catch the spyware without interaction from you. The free version can’t detect it until you manually start a scan.
So, to sum it all up:
Get the Free version if you will remember to run a scan at least once a week. If not, get the paid version.
Also, I am not affiliated with Malwarebytes in any way. I just use the app because it is a quality app.
-Steven
