Since the internet became a battleground for all sorts of malicious software the race has been on to develop and release good spyware blockers.
For many years it seemed almost an impossible task as companies struggled to keep up with new virulent strains of spyware.
However as time progressed they slowly got a handle on it and now spyware is treated as a manageable problem instead of an epidemic.
Although it shares many similarities with viruses spyware itself is not a virus.
One of the main reasons it took so long to develop good anti spyware programs is that spyware by itself is not damaging.
It simply looks at your computer, your files, your history, and sends this data to someone who wants it.
This leads to further infection from other forms of malicious software, so it's generally a good idea to take spyware out as soon as possible.
Many companies including Microsoft have developed system protection programs that also protect against spyware.
Microsoft's main program is a small one called Windows Defender.
This was released on Windows Vista and is a part of Windows 7 as well.
This is not to be confused with the malicious software removal tool available for XP.
Although this tool did play a part in the development of Windows Defender, it lacked the anti spyware capabilities necessary to protect a system.
With this in mind Windows Defender was designed to be one of the more decent spyware blockers available free of charge to all PC users.
However it does more than just look for spyware.
It also keeps an eye out for viruses, malware, ransomware, and other computer parasites.
Microsoft is constantly updating it as new threats are found and addressed so it's always current.
These updates are released via Windows update and if you leave it on automatic it will take care of itself.
Windows Defender can also be scheduled to run like all of the other system maintenance tools in Vista and 7.
While having protection against an assortment of other programs is good it is vital to have spyware protection.
Spyware is the most common form of malicious software on the internet and even if you have a decent firewall installed it can still worm its way into your system.
When this happens having a program that can hunt down and eliminate the problem is essential, and Windows Defender does this.
It also runs almost completely silently, and only pops up once it has located a problem.
When this happens it's usually just telling you what it found and asking for confirmation of actions to be performed.
Performance wise it is a very low resource intensive program.
This means that if you're in the middle of doing something you won't even know it's there.
With the ever evolving threat of spyware and other malicious programs it's important for new computer users to be protected.
Until they learn the ropes, verbiage, facts, and survival tips needed to protect their PC's they will be extremely vulnerable.
Windows Defender shows that Microsoft is committed to keeping its customers safe while they get their footing.
So watch your movies and play your games, Windows Defender will be there ever vigilant for the threat of spyware.
For many years it seemed almost an impossible task as companies struggled to keep up with new virulent strains of spyware.
However as time progressed they slowly got a handle on it and now spyware is treated as a manageable problem instead of an epidemic.
Although it shares many similarities with viruses spyware itself is not a virus.
One of the main reasons it took so long to develop good anti spyware programs is that spyware by itself is not damaging.
It simply looks at your computer, your files, your history, and sends this data to someone who wants it.
This leads to further infection from other forms of malicious software, so it's generally a good idea to take spyware out as soon as possible.
Many companies including Microsoft have developed system protection programs that also protect against spyware.
Microsoft's main program is a small one called Windows Defender.
This was released on Windows Vista and is a part of Windows 7 as well.
This is not to be confused with the malicious software removal tool available for XP.
Although this tool did play a part in the development of Windows Defender, it lacked the anti spyware capabilities necessary to protect a system.
With this in mind Windows Defender was designed to be one of the more decent spyware blockers available free of charge to all PC users.
However it does more than just look for spyware.
It also keeps an eye out for viruses, malware, ransomware, and other computer parasites.
Microsoft is constantly updating it as new threats are found and addressed so it's always current.
These updates are released via Windows update and if you leave it on automatic it will take care of itself.
Windows Defender can also be scheduled to run like all of the other system maintenance tools in Vista and 7.
While having protection against an assortment of other programs is good it is vital to have spyware protection.
Spyware is the most common form of malicious software on the internet and even if you have a decent firewall installed it can still worm its way into your system.
When this happens having a program that can hunt down and eliminate the problem is essential, and Windows Defender does this.
It also runs almost completely silently, and only pops up once it has located a problem.
When this happens it's usually just telling you what it found and asking for confirmation of actions to be performed.
Performance wise it is a very low resource intensive program.
This means that if you're in the middle of doing something you won't even know it's there.
With the ever evolving threat of spyware and other malicious programs it's important for new computer users to be protected.
Until they learn the ropes, verbiage, facts, and survival tips needed to protect their PC's they will be extremely vulnerable.
Windows Defender shows that Microsoft is committed to keeping its customers safe while they get their footing.
So watch your movies and play your games, Windows Defender will be there ever vigilant for the threat of spyware.
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