Below are some tips on how you can avoid having spyware installed on your computer without you knowing.

Keep Microsoft Windows Updated
 

Many users are still not quite sure why it is necessary to download software updates on a regular basis.

Security holes in software products are *regularly* discovered, and must be fixed by the software maker, through updates.

Well, in the case of Microsoft windows (your operating system), it's *vital* that you keep it updated, since most attacks take advantage of security flaws that have been already fixed in the latest updates.

Therefore, it is critical that you download these types of updates in order to combat certain loop holes in their security system.

 
Be Wary Of Dubious Software

This rather vague piece of advice, but essentially the way to avoid trouble is simple:

- *Only* install software downloaded from the maker's site, or from official "mirrors", and not from other places (especially peer-to-peer networks).

You might then say "well, what if the maker is dodgy?"

My answer would be: "Sometimes, it is almost impossible to tell if a maker is legitimate or not, and that is part of the risk we take when using the Internet."

If you want to be 99.9% safe when using the Internet, the best way is to use an anti-spyware software product which will obliterate all of these problems!

You cannot remove spyware problems with anti-virus software, because the software simply won't detect them. I know I keep saying this, but this is crucial to your understanding.

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