Catch the spies who hijack your computer - Adaware Helps PCs Get Rid Of Virus

SPYWARE is everywhere these days, and many people don’t even know that they have it on their computers! That’s because the most widespread spyware — and in some cases most pernicious — can integrate its way into your personal computers (PC) in subtle ways that you may not be aware of.

But if you know what to look for, you can identify some of the most common types of spyware and know how to get rid of it. Two of the most common types of spyware today — ISTbar and KaZaA — have also been identified as among the most threatening to your privacy, according to the Computer Associates Spyware Information Center, a USbased organisation that tracks spyware threats worldwide.

ISTbar is what’s known as a browser hijacker. It reconfigures your start page, toolbars, and search page in internet explorer. Worst of all, it delivers pop-up advertisements wherever you go on the internet, and some of these will contain pornography. This nuisance has also been known to drop other spyware on to your PC. Like many other types of spyware, you contract ISTbar by stumbling on to one of its affiliated sites. If you ever visit porn or adult sites, you are at risk of catching it.

Most anti-spyware utilities, including the free ones such as Adaware, can rid your PC of ISTbar. Simply start the anti-spyware tool, click Scan, and let the tool search your PC. When it’s finished, locate and select any spyware-related items related to ISTbar, and follow the directions to remove them.

KaZaA is a peer-to-peer filesharing programme that allows users to share digital files over the internet. The software has frequently been employed illegally to swap copyrighted digital audio and video files.

Although not spyware in the strictest sense, the free version of KaZaA has been known to bundle plenty of adware software that delivers targeted banner advertisements to your desktop, among other unsavoury things. To suffer the ill effects of KaZaA, you or someone with access to your computer will have to have downloaded it from kazaa.com.

To get rid of KaZaA, first uninstall it. Then use an anti-spyware utility like Ad-aware, Microsoft Antispyware, or Spybot S&D to scan your system. It may be necessary to reboot the computer to remove all spyware deposited by installatiing KaZaA.