Whenever you connect your PC to the Internet, it becomes a very vulnerable machine. Every time you log on to the World Wide Web, chances are you will see the ads warning you what horrible things are going to sneak their way into your hard drive. Malicous code sneaking into your computer can destroy years of hard work. It can email your credit card numbers to a criminal mob. It can give identity thieves a way to assume your very name. So, it seems to make good sense that the very first thing you want to do before you ever log on to the net is to find a reliable software package. You need something to help protect your computer against ever possible Internet intruder. But what kind of software should you get? Do you need anti-spyware software or anti-virus software or both?

Let’s take a look at what anti-virus and anti-spyware programs are designed to protect your computer against. A virus is a short string of code that attaches itself to your hard drive. It comes into your PC through files entering surreptitiously from the Internet. When viruses are activated, either via a timer or when you click on their file names, they launch their attacks. They can delete your data, edit your registry, or just slow everything to a crawl.

Spyware also attaches to your computer from the World Wide Web. Malware programmers, and also some software package programmers, attach spyware to another piece of software. Spyware can come into your PC through email or off a third party website, but it can also be part of a software package you purchase for a legitimate purchase. Many software companies tell you in the fine print of the user agreement that they “bug” your computer to tell them how you are using their program. Like a virus, spyware will activate when you open it. However, spyware is not obviously harmful. Instead, the spyware program will start digging into your files and sending information about your computer and about your online activities to the person who created it. Sometimes spyware just goes after your email address. First thing you know, your inbox is full of spam. Or spyware might want your financial records, or your online and real-life identity. The only way you can know for sure whether you have spyware on your PC is running a detection program, but chances are you have spyware if your computer runs slow.

So, what is the key distinction between anti-spyware and anti-virus software? Most of the time these days your computer protection provides both. By updating for new spyware and virus definitions every week, your protection software will know the definitions it needs scan and disinfect your hard drive on a regular basis.

Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs integrate themselves seamlessly into your email and web browser. This function ensures that malicious programs never infect your computer in the first place. Stand-alone anti-spyware software may perform the same function, but it is usually more about deleting files that have already infected your computer. Anti-spyware often provides a tool that scans websites you are about to visit. The anti-spyware program will stop you from logging on and warn they contain malicious code or have been reported as installing spyware on other computers.

To keep your computer secure and malware-free, your best option is to obtain software that protects you against both problems. Anti-virus software and anti-spyware software in the same package afford you a more complete, robust protection against the ever growing number of malicious programs that threaten your computer from the World Wide Web.