It's a sad fact, but the more suspicious and paranoid you are, the more likely you are to avoid a spyware infection. With a few wrong clicks, you can completely forfeit your privacy online. However, with just a little self-restraint, you can avoid most online threats such as spyware infections which are becoming more and more of an issue.

A spyware infection is just that – the infection of your computer with unwanted software. The purpose of the spyware is to track what you're doing, so naturally, when you are experiencing a spyware infection, you notice interferences in computer performance.

Spyware infection occurs when you click "yes" on random downloads. The spyware infection is in the hidden software that gets installed when you agree to these downloads. Spyware infection also occurs when you open pop-ups that are attached to spyware infection downloads.

Some companies use spyware infection as a sneaky way to track your movement on the Internet. The information that's gathered via spyware infection allows the companies to turn around and send certain promotional material and other annoyances to you via email and pop-ups.

So how do you know if you're experiencing spyware infection? The reality is that if you're connected to the Internet, you probably have at least some spyware infection on your computer. Spyware can make your system run slower, and some applications may behave very oddly.

Spyware infections also sometimes invite unwanted pop-ups onto your computer. You may notice an increase in frequency of pop-ups and even notice that the pop-ups occur when you're not even actively using the Internet. This is a sure sign of spyware infection. Sometimes these unrelated pop-ups are of a pornographic nature.

So how can I avoid Spyware in the first place? If you follow these guidelines, you will greatly reduce your risk:

1. Do not open e-mail attachments from people that you do not know. If you do not know the sender, then simply delete the e-mail.
2. Never open an attachment that is an .exe, .pif, .com, or .bat file type unless you specifically know the file is clean.
3. If you visit a site and a pop-up appears saying that your computer is unsafe, ignore it! These are gimmicks that are used to make you click on the ad which then can potentially install unwanted malware.
4. Some pop-ups look like normal Windows message boxes in order to trick you into clicking on them. Instead just close them by clicking on the X.
5. Do not visit porn sites! The majority of spyware and browser hijackers are put on computers through porn sites.
6. Do not visit “warez” sites (copyrighted works traded in violation of copyright law)! Not only is pirated software illegal, but it is a breeding ground for malware.
7. Do not visit crack sites (software cracking is the modification of software to remove protection methods). Many of the cracks include malware in them!
8. If you use peer-to-peer (P2P) software, make sure you are careful about what you open. Malware is all over the P2P networks.
9. Read the license agreement for any software that you install. Many free downloads are offered with spyware and other programs that you DO NOT want on your computer. Reading the agreement may help you to spot them.

Above all, make sure you have spyware detection software on your computer. The McAfee Spyware Killer product in the Bsafe Online All-in-One Security Suite provides this capability. This, along with following the nine prevention steps above, will help make your Internet experience a safer one.