Spyware is created for one reason - to take advantage of other people; to spy on you, watch you, track everything you do, and steal information about you. Spyware comes in a variety of forms. The most common are "spyware cookies" and "spyware programs".

A spyware cookieis any cookie that is not used only by a single web site for its private interactions with its users, but is shared across multiple sites. When multiple web sites read from the same cookie, or when they pass info from the cookie on to another site, those sites effectively share your personal information without your permission. Although most spyware cookies are not necessarily dangerous, they do invade your privacy and exploit your personal information for gain. Most people hate the fact someone is watching and tracking them while they use the Internet, and then selling your information to unscrupulous marketers and spam operators.

Spyware programs are really commercialized hacker tools built to allow someone to literally watch you and track everything you doon your computer. There are an increasing number of these spying programs now freely available on the Internet for purchase. Some of these newer spyware programs allow the intruder to send electronic greeting cards that install several hacker spy tools on your PC while you are reading the greeting card.

Many of these malicious spyware programs allow others to read your e-mail, see what web sites you visit, turn on your web camera and watch you, gather your computer passwords, and much more. Some other malicious programs also classified as spyware include keystroke loggers and web-dialers. While keystroke loggers track your every keystroke, web-dialersautomatically dial certain 1-900 numbers from the victim's computer without being noticed, running up huge phone bills through the victim's ISP service.

These types of hacking and privacy invasion tools often lurk silently on your computeruntil something or someone sets them off. When that happens, you could lose passwords, personal data, credit card numbers, and open up a back door to let the hacker into your computer or even your entire network of computers in the office. These dangerous spyware programs sneak past your firewall and anti-virus programs to invade your privacyand gain access to your computer. The ability to detect and remove these malicious programs from your PC is a critical part of your overall protection.

FACTS:

. You get infected with spyware every time you surf the Internet.

. Some spyware is sent hidden inside electronic greeting cards, planting the spyware and hacker tools on the computer while the victim is reading the greeting card.

. Some of the popular ant-virus programs now claim to protect against spyware, but they really only scan for spyware cookies and other common nuisances, leaving your computer vulnerable to the tens of thousands of other spyware programs floating around on the Internet.

. The average PC is infected with at least 28 spyware programs.