Is it spyware? Or adware? Or spying adware? The line between spyware and adware can be hard to spot. Some spyware is designed to steal your personal information - an attempt to steal your identity. Some spyware is designed to track where you go on the Internet and to deliver ads to match your interests. Some spyware adds a program that uses your modem to dial to exotic locations with pay-per-minute phone services, or to reset your browser so it only visits pornographic pages. If the unwanted program can copy itself and send it self to other computers, we call it a virus. Whatever you call the unwanted program, what they all have in common is they're installed without your consent, they're not looking out for you and you want to get rid of it.

Some of the signs you've been infected with spyware include:

• Your computer suddenly slows down dramatically
• an endless barrage of pop-up ads
• New, apparently random error messages pop up
• your browser changes it's home page
• Your browser takes you to sites other than the addresses entered in the address window
• New toolbars appear in your browser
• New icons show up in the system tray (lower right, near the clock)
• Some keys stop working, or odd things happen; you press tab and your browser opens to a porn page

The best way to get rid of spyware is to not get it in the first place. Easier said than done. But, there are practical steps you can take to protect your family and computer:

• Make sure all of your programs are up-to-date, particularly Windows, your browser (Internet Explorer) and any chat programs your have installed. Microsoft offers free updates for Windows (Soon to be discontinued for Windows98) and Internet Explorer. Ask a computer savvy friend to make sure your Windows update feature is turned on to update automatically. Microsoft has instructions here.
• Control your browser's security settings. If you're not familiar with all the technical names in the options panel, you can set Internet Explorer to 'Medium' security for good protection. The highest settings will probably stop you from doing some of the things you'd like to do.
• Be very, very careful about what you download to install on your computer. Read the licensing agreement (sometimes called EULA - End User License Agreement) included with the program. Read all of it. Carefully. If you can't find the agreement, or it is wordy and confusing, don't download the program. Many of the popular freebies are nothing more than delivery systems for spyware and adware.
• Never, ever download or install a file sharing program like (the old) Napster, KaZaa, Grokster, BearShare or any other 'peer-to-peer' file swapping program. If you somehow avoid getting a load of spyware with the program, the bad guys have millions of dangerous files available for download, usually renamed to sound like something irresistible.
• Don't click on any links in pop-up windows. If you can, use the X in the upper right corner of the box to close the ad. That may be enough to keep the ad from downloading spyware, but it isn't guaranteed.
• Don't follow links included in spam email. If you see something you can't pass up, type the site's address in your browser's address window. Expect every site you visit from a link in spam to be dangerous.
• Install a good spyware filtering program. Good spyware blockers protect you in several ways:
• Block programs from adding themselves to the list of programs that start automatically when Windows starts. (But, it must let you override this blocking to let you add new programs you want)
• Stop programs from changing your browser settings like your home page or default search engine
• It should block tracking cookies from known ad sites
• Prevent programs from changing the Windows hosts file - the file Windows uses as a 'directory' to locate web sites. When changed, your browser goes only to the sites set by the spyware

Our favorite anti-spyware programs are Webroot Spy Sweeper. Webroot offers a free trial, you can download it here. Another excellent anti-spyware program is and SpyBlocker from SpyBlocker Software. SpyBlocker's price includes lifetime updates.

You can find more information about computer and your personal information while online at the Federal Trade Commission's web site, www.ftc.gov/infosecurity. And the National Consumer's League's web site, http://nclnet.org.