There’s loads of “free” software out there on the internet. Beware, though. Free doesn’t mean without cost. Yes, you might download that software without shelling out any money, but there may well be a price to pay for installing that free program. Many developers use free software as a way to introduce spyware or adware into your system.

So why should you be concerned if a free program includes spyware? I mean, you get to use the associated program for free, right? Well, wrong. The reality of it is that spyware and adware uses up system resources, is often poorly written and buggy, and will generally degrade your computer experience.

What is spyware / adware?

Just what is spyware? What’s adware? First of all, the words spyware and adware are in many ways interchangeable. In this article, I may refer to one or the other, but I really mean both. So to state it simply, spyware and adware are programs that will monitor your computer usage, often including websites you visit, and then use that information to push ads to you. These ads may appear as pop-ups. Some adware may present pop-ups even when you aren’t connected to the internet! Adware may also “hijack” your internet browser, changing your home page, or sending you to a different website than the one you wanted. Spyware may also mine your address book for email addresses, and then push spam to those contacts. In the very worst cases, spyware may also track your internet usage and detect your credit card info as you fill out web-based order forms.

Why do companies distribute spyware?

Let’s discuss why a vendor might include spyware or adware. A software company wants to earn money for their product. They might decide, though, that it’s too hard to convince the public to actually pay for the right to use their program. So instead, they will include a piece of spyware in their application. They then get paid by the company that produces the spyware, who then gets paid by the advertisers that you get pushed to. Everyone wins, except you, that is. You get fewer available system resources, because the adware’s hogging the processor, you get more pop-ups, and, well, we’ve covered all that already, haven’t we.

How can you protect yourself?

Many companies that include spyware or adware are very up front about it. During the installation process, they will give you the option of installing the So-and-So browser toolbar, or the XYZ web enhancer. Some of them will even tell you that their programs won’t work without installing these add-ins. However, there are many more companies to don’t give you such options or warnings. They will just dump the adware into your system.

To prevent your system from becoming infected with these unwanted apps, review the software carefully before downloading it. If you found the software off of one of the popular software download sites, read the user reviews. Generally speaking, if there’s spyware or adware included, someone will point it out. You can also Google the program in question. Go to Google (or Yahoo, or your favorite search engine) and enter Does ABC contain spyware? (Do I need to mention don’t enter ABC? Instead enter the name of the software in question.) Once you’ve determined that the desired program doesn’t contain spyware or adware, then go ahead and download it. If the program does have spyware, skip it. Look for a spyware-free program that does the same thing.

For links to free software, including 25 must-have programs, visit The Computer Psychic.

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