Ok, you've got a puter, and you get online. Recently a wave of information has surfaced about Search Engine Security Holes, Browser Vulnerabilities, redirection to malicious Websites, even Online Extortion Scams. Adware, Malware, Spyware Oh My ! You surf your favorite sites, Sports, Shopping, Cowchip Tossing Blogs, and so on. Your kids download songs and IM their friends. But are you being tracked ? Is your personal information stored safe on your puter or is it being mined to a geeky looking guy sitting in the dark half a continent away ? Do you know for sure you are secure ? Many people don't. They take it for granted that their service provider is watching over them. If there is one thing I cant stress enough, its always read the fine print before you hit the download button. A survey I read about a month ago stated that less than 7 % read the info posted on the Download windows. Some Spyware will download itself without even you knowing it. And then how about the Link Hijackings. You go to your Bank URL, but you don't notice that its been changed slightly. The Login and Password you enter now is in the hands of a person who likes to shop ! There are the less dangerous Pop-ups. They are annoying sure, but sometimes it can get so bad you cant click em closed fast enough to even close out your browser. Spyware can slow your puter to a crawl, taking minutes to open a site. It can log your keystrokes, mine your data, reboot your puter, even cause it to not boot up. You've got to be safe people ! The Internet is a wonderful place. Its come a long way and its got a long way to go still, enjoy it. About the Author: Doug Woodall has a web site at http://www.spywarebiz.com There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware. His Website is recognized by Learning Fountain and ISafe Doug's Articles have earned him Trusted Author Status at ImpactArticles.com He is a member of the IWA (International Webmasters Association) Article edited for proper content by Wendy McCallum Permission to copy ok as long as about author info remains with article.

Hi Doug, This is another GREAT article. SO many people that I talk to have an outdated AV program from 5 years ago IF ANYTHING and think everything is fine. They figure that there computer is just old and needs to be replaced so it's really slow. I have several well-protected computers and am always updating firewalls, av, internet security, etc. and it works. The computer I'm at right now is ancient, although I have updated some of the hardware and, of course, all the software, but it still works great. Keep that good information coming, Doug. Maybe you'll save someone a lot of money if they are wise enough to pay attention! God bless, Dave