The spread of spyware and adware for advertising purposes has gone beyond the privacy limits because distributors of the invasive software see no harm in installing the surveillance programs without your knowledge. One way to check for spyware intrusion is by going to the tools menu in Internet Explorer. Go to the security tab and click on the custom level button.

Next to the Download ActiveX control if your computer does not have the disable or prompt button then you most likely have been infected with spyware.

A spyware infection means your internet surfing is being tracked and your personal information is being transferred to a third party. Those that gather the information sell it to companies who utilize the private information for advertising purposes.

This in turn results in a continuous stream of pop up ads and email advertisements. Lavasoft software has a free spyware and adware scan and removal tool that uses a database of known spyware programs to determine if your computer is infected. Lavasoft's AdAware program will detect and remove any spyware infected files located on your system. You can download AdAware and it will install on your computer with a desktop icon that you then click on to run the scan. The program recognizes spyware objects, files and registry key alterations and it then repairs them upon your

command.

AdAware will give you a comprehensive list of found spyware along with a detailed description of each infected application. AdAware's initial version is free for all personal computer users and their plus version costs $27 and it adds real-time protection against spyware and adware.