Your PC is a very vulnerable machine. Every day when you log online, chances are you see the ads warning you what horrible things are going to sneak their way into your hard drive, destroy years of hard work, and email your credit card numbers to a criminal mob. So, it seems only sensible that the very first thing you want to do is find a reliable software package to help protect your computer against what everything that could wrong. But, what kind of software should you get? Do you need Anti-virus software or Anti-spyware software or both?
Let's take a look at what these programs are designed to protect your computer against. Viruses are tiny strings of code that attach themselves to your hard drive via files that come into your computer surreptitiously from the Internet. When viruses are activated, either via a calendar program or by your clicking on their file names, they launch attacks on various parts of your computer. They can delete data, edit your registry, or just slow everything your computer does down.
Spyware also arrives at your computer from the World Wide Web. Malicious programmers usually attach spyware to another piece of software. This program can come into your PC through email or off a third party website. Like a virus, it will activate when you open it. However, Spyware is not obviously harmful. Instead, the spyware program will start burrowing deep into your computer and sending information about your computer and your online activities to the person who created it. It might just be your email address. Soon your inbox is full of spam. Or it might be your financial records, stolen by an identity theft. The only way you can know whether you have spyware is the run a detection program, but you can make a good guess that it's spyware if your computer runs slow.
So, you ask, what is the important distinction between anti-spyware and anti-virus software? The good news is, most of the time, modern computer protection provides you with both. Updating for both spyware and virus definitions at least every week, your protection software will know the definitions it needs to scan and disinfect your hard drive on a regular basis.
Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs typically integrate into your web browser and email. This function makes sure that malware programs never get into your computer in the first place. Anti-spyware software by itself may perform the same function, but spyware detection programs are usually more focused on deleting files that have infected your computer already. Anti-spyware programs often will stop you from logging on and warn you the pages contain malicious code or have been reported as installing spyware on other computers.
To keep your computer secure and free from viruses and spyware, your best option is to obtain software that protects you from both. Anti-virus software and anti-spyware software in the same software suite offer you a more complete, reliable protection against the ever growing number of harmful programs that threaten your PC from the World Wide Web. - 16039
Let's take a look at what these programs are designed to protect your computer against. Viruses are tiny strings of code that attach themselves to your hard drive via files that come into your computer surreptitiously from the Internet. When viruses are activated, either via a calendar program or by your clicking on their file names, they launch attacks on various parts of your computer. They can delete data, edit your registry, or just slow everything your computer does down.
Spyware also arrives at your computer from the World Wide Web. Malicious programmers usually attach spyware to another piece of software. This program can come into your PC through email or off a third party website. Like a virus, it will activate when you open it. However, Spyware is not obviously harmful. Instead, the spyware program will start burrowing deep into your computer and sending information about your computer and your online activities to the person who created it. It might just be your email address. Soon your inbox is full of spam. Or it might be your financial records, stolen by an identity theft. The only way you can know whether you have spyware is the run a detection program, but you can make a good guess that it's spyware if your computer runs slow.
So, you ask, what is the important distinction between anti-spyware and anti-virus software? The good news is, most of the time, modern computer protection provides you with both. Updating for both spyware and virus definitions at least every week, your protection software will know the definitions it needs to scan and disinfect your hard drive on a regular basis.
Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs typically integrate into your web browser and email. This function makes sure that malware programs never get into your computer in the first place. Anti-spyware software by itself may perform the same function, but spyware detection programs are usually more focused on deleting files that have infected your computer already. Anti-spyware programs often will stop you from logging on and warn you the pages contain malicious code or have been reported as installing spyware on other computers.
To keep your computer secure and free from viruses and spyware, your best option is to obtain software that protects you from both. Anti-virus software and anti-spyware software in the same software suite offer you a more complete, reliable protection against the ever growing number of harmful programs that threaten your PC from the World Wide Web. - 16039
About the Author:
Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at SpywareRemovalDoc.com the leading Spyware Removal Software provider.
