Spyware & Adware Removal Software

Buyer's guide - what to look for in Spyware & Adware Removal software

Every time you go online, or open an unverified email attachment, you are opening yourself up to malicious software taking residence on your machine. The aim of the malicious software will vary. Sometimes the aim it to display popup adverts while you are surfing (Adware) or to monitor your behavious and pass private information to a third party (Spyware). Sometimes it an out and out highjack of your machine intended to access your bank accounts or use your computer for criminal activity (keyloggers, trojans and general malware nastiness).

But you can protect yourself with good quality anti-spyware software. Sometimes anti-spyware modules are provided by anti-virus or internet security suites so it?s a good idea to check if you?re currently protected (and your software is up to date!).

Here's what to look for when buying anti-spyware software:

• Detection rates - make sure that the software can actually detect most threats to your system. We test software on a machine where we know the current number of malware items and see whether they are all detected. Other reputable websites will provide similar comparisons.


• Removal of threats - will the software remove the threat without difficulty. Some malware and spyware is created to deliberately avoid thorough removal and good quality software will be aware of this.


• Updates - Spyware and malware is ever changing. A professional company will update your software as much as once per day to stay ahead. Ideally look for push updates that do not require a scheduled update to take place before the product is updated


• System performance - like anti-virus software, anti-spyware software should contantly monitor threats and therefore can degrade system performance. We look for software with a small footprint that will not affect the speed of a standard 500GB RAM machine


• Help and support - As with all software, sometimes you will require assistance. Whether it's a lost software key or software failure you should look for a responsive vendor. Comprehensive online help files or an active user forum are a must. Telephone or live-chat support are also recommended.

Almost all anti-spyware programs allow you to download and scan your system for free before you are required to pay for a full copy to remove malicious software. We recommend downloading two of the best titles to test the look and feel of the product as well as the detection rate before making a purchase.