Your PC Might be Infested With Spyware If . . .

With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, your PC might be infested with spyware if your desktop looks like this. If you recognize some of those, maybe it's time to run anti-spyware!

Some nasty spyware is shown in the picture (which I was unfortunately unable to find a copyright for, including at the place it is hosted. If it's yours, I'll remove it or credit you!). If you've never had spyware and want to know how it hides on your system, you'll notice things like the mywebsearch toolbar, Alexa toolbar, Smiley Central, weather applications for your taskbar and others. If they're free, ask yourself how is the author making money with it? Likely the answer is, he's installing spyware on your system and getting paid by selling your personal information or browsing habits.

Running spyware can cause your computer to run slower or even crash. Don't download software that you are unfamiliar with!