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Spyware refers to software which is installed onto your PC (usually a Windows machine, such as Windows 98, 2000 or XP) without you knowing, or agreeing, to have it installed.
In most cases, Spyware will not damage your computer or your files. What Spyware does is - surprise - "spy" and "track" your activities on the internet. It may also modify your browser homepage settings, add links on your desktop, or serve you unwanted ads, amongst many other things.
As in most cases, the root cause of Spyware is money and greed. While it's quite possible to earn an honest living by producing content on the internet, many companies feel the need to overtake your computer in search of a "quick buck". Spyware companies may only make a few cents for every click you make as a result of their software, or even less for the serving of an unwanted ad on your PC. However given the millions of users on the internet, these small amounts can quickly ad up and therefore Spyware can be quite lucrative for those that produce and distribute it on the net.
Spyware is an invasion of your privacy, it does not get your permission to be installed on your system and at best, can annoy you and make your internet surfing less a more irritating experience.
However a lot of Spyware is poorly coded and can cause trouble with your operating system, including memory leaks, eating CPU resources and much more. Because Spyware doesn't tell you it's on your system, it is often the "unseen" cause of system problems, such as a slow, unresponsive PC. Overall, spyware is not good for your system, and you should therefore seek to protect your computer from it.
In some cases, Spyware will track and monitor your internet usage, and then at certain times "phone home" to send the data back to the Spyware company. For the most part, you cannot be associated with your this data, however it's becoming increasingly common for this private information to be collected and used against you by unscrupulous marketing companies. In the very worst scenarios, Spyware has been known to scan your hard disk, taking note of installed applications, private data and worse!
There are numerous tools and programs available to help remove Spyware from your PC, and to make sure you don't accidentally get "infected" by it. Some are completely free, others may be shareware or require a small fee to use after a certain period. In all cases, it's better to get this software on your PC, as no matter what the small amount you may spend, it is sure to help save your computing time in the long-run.
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