Spyware are small software that place themselves in auto-start on the PC and spy on everything the user does on the PC, in particular the sites he opens, the programs he launches and the purchases he makes on the sites, so that he can redirect the browser to unwanted sites, full of viruses, making pop ups and annoying banners suddenly appear, feed the phishing and in general undermine the stability of the computer causing it to slow down. Even if at first we do not notice the presence of spyware (which could very well be hidden within a legitimate program), at a certain point, when it has collected enough user data, it will show Web pages on the browser without any warning or pop-ups with tips for buying on sites that are not recommended, where there are often malware or phishing lurking.
In this guide we will show you the best anti-spyware programs that we can install on your PC, so as to come to the aid of the classic antivirus (which basically blocks the most known malware, but may be in difficulty with the most hidden or newest threats) .
Most of these programs can be started for a periodic scan, so as to immediately eradicate any "intruders" who are spying on us.
READ ALSO: Best antivirus for PC
1) Prevention is better than cure
In order not to take any risks while surfing the internet, we must obtain effective protections that can protect the computer before spyware can take root.
Having a good antivirus (even the internal one of Windows 10 is fine) and a firewall (included in Windows), on a PC updated regularly in all its applications, it will be more difficult to be affected by infections.
The problem with spyware, however, is that they are often not seen as malware, they hide well and spread via websites and free programs.
As additional protection we can install some spyware and malware scanners, so that we can launch a scan every now and then in search of hidden programs that have escaped the main protection system (which is possible if we use the antivirus and firewall integrated in Windows 10).
The general precautions concern not to download files at random, do not open internet pages that warn of "interacting" with the computer, not to download unknown extensions or plugins recommended by the sites (they are always viruses!) And to avoid Web pages with too many advertisements.
We are also careful when we visit gambling sites, casinos, pornography, money games, crack: on these sites we never open banner ads, do not download programs that are unknown and those that are advertised "too much".
READ ALSO: If strange advertisements and websites open on PC, how to block and solve them
2) Best anti-spyware programs
To increase the defenses we recommend installing one of the following programs, to be added to the official antivirus on the PC.
- Spybot : since this is a particularly powerful and constantly updated program, it is essential to find those small threats, especially related to internet browsing, which antivirus programs do not consider.
Spybot is to be used at least once a month, updating it and starting its scan; the program, especially if the PC is used by several different people, will always find some threats to eradicate.
- Spyware Blaster : this is a program that prevents the installation of files and software that may behave as spyware but also from adware and malware.
With a very different approach from the other anti-spyware tools, which have the main task of scanning for harmful files, it avoids that all the spyware in its database can be installed on the computer for spyware.
As a prevention method it is definitely very effective, that's why we recommend always installing it on PCs managed by beginners or by many different people.
- Malwarebytes Anti-malware : one of the lightest and most efficient programs in the search for spyware, even the most hidden ones.
It scans your computer for malware, the good thing is that the scan is fast enough, the best thing is that it removes some spy threats that Spybot doesn't see.
The free version offers a scanner that blocks many additional threats compared to those of previous programs, but the maximum effectiveness is obtained with the commercial license.
- AdwCleaner : another very powerful and effective program, capable of eradicating spyware, browser changes, adware and many other threats capable of hiding inside the PC.
We recommend that you periodically launch a scan with this program, given its enormous effectiveness: we will always find something to eliminate and prevent spyware from collecting too much data.
- Superantispyware : it is the classic "install and forget" software: it can be updated and used no more than once every two months, it makes a more accurate scan file by file and shows a minimum false positive report; in the free version you cannot activate permanent protection, which should only be done in case of real need as it can slow down your computer.
Superantispyware is perfect in its portable version that can be copied to a USB stick and used in case you are unable to install new programs on your PC.
- In another article we talked about Reason Core Security to find and clean viruses and malware on the PC, which we recommend to study in the dedicated guide.
- IOBit Malware Fighter, an excellent free scanner with real-time protection, capable of intercepting a large number of spyware and malware thanks to its large and constantly updated database.
- Spyware Terminator, a powerful program that offers a spyware removal tool in addition to a real-time protection module, capable of preventing threats before they infect your computer.
READ ALSO: Best Anti-malware to find hidden spyware too
3) Conclusions
By scanning these software, your PC should be well protected against threats of all kinds, in particular advertisements, spyware and banners that install themselves and the numerous threats from the Web.
Note that often, if you download all the reported anti-spyware programs, each of them always reports an infection even from a clean PC.
The reason lies in the fact that the concept of spyware itself is not defined and some programs also report doubtful and often false positive files, so it is always advisable to try more than one product in order to be sure of catching all infections (let's start them one at a time of course! ).
Another article explains the best procedure for removing malware, spyware and fake antivirus from the infected computer .
READ ALSO: Best Removal tool to eliminate adware and spyware .
