by Maxwell Payne

Created on: July 21, 2008   Last Updated: February 26, 2009

Fight adware and spyware with these free downloads.

Adware and spyware are practically lurking everywhere on the internet these days. While some of these programs may only cause a slight annoyance, some carry potentially dangerous viruses and programs that can leave your personal information and computer vulnerable. It's important to note right off the bat that the downloads recommended aren't full anti-virus programs, rather supplements to basic anti-virus programs and should be used in conjunction with a decent anti-virus program. We'll get to that in a bit.

Adware and spyware are malicious programs that in their most harmless form annoy you with pop up ads, slow down your machine with tons of cookies, and redirect pages to more ads. Some 'spy' on you sending your surfing habits to third party firms, often for advertising purposes. More serious ad-ware and spyware programs can cause sensitive personal information to be leaked, allow hackers entry to your files, redirect you to fake sites that trick one into giving information, and more dangers.

The best two programs out there today are Lavasoft's AdAware and Spybot's Seek and Destroy. Both of these programs are free to use, however AdAware has a premium version for sale and Spybot accepts donations if you feel they deserve it for their hard work. Both programs essentially work the same when it comes to adware and spyware. The software constantly scans and tracks for known bad links, bad sites, bad cookies, and bad downloads are can automatically block these from ever reaching your computer. AdAware tends to use weekly updates about new spyware and adware to update the software while Spybot draws from large lists of known 'bad' sites, links, programs compiled and updated often by individuals around the globe working often as volunteers.

Both draw from extensive block lists that number in the thousands in terms of known bad software, links, and downloads from annoying pop ups to malicious viruses. Spybot takes this a step further and offers a part of their program called IE Resident, which basically scans for and silently blocks all known bad links and bad pages. It also can alert you when any program is trying to access the internet. Even more amazing, the program can alert you when a new process is about to run or a process/action is about to take place that may be considered suspicious. You can allow or deny the process/action and have Spybot remember your preference.

Both also do a relatively good job at blocking

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