Spyware, the worst form of malware with the potential to steal your identity, does a good job of hiding itself so that you cannot simply look on your computer and see if you have any spyware programs installed. Because of this, in order to find out if your computer is infected with spyware, you have to look for signs that there is some type of spyware that is affecting your system, so that you can quickly do something about it before your personal data has been stolen.

Slowing of the computer performance is the first sign that shows you might be having spyware on your computer. Computer allocates its resources between multiple running programs to maximize their performance and to make them work effectively. Spyware is also a program which is running in background all the time and computer resources needs to be allocated to it which eventually slows computers performance over time.

The next sign is multiple strange program names coming up when you view a list of all running programs. There are spyware programs that are able to hide their presence, but if you see the names of programs that do not look at all familiar, chances are that they are spyware that was unable to mask itself from your computers program detection.

A third indication of spyware is the appearance of rogue icons on your computer. These often link to trial offers for services that you have not requested or installed. Sometimes, trusted programs that install free trials along with their primary software will generate unexpected icons. AOL, for example, has been known to bundle their special offers in this manner. But unexplained icons can also come from spyware that is trying to tempt you into downloading a program that will further infect your computer or steal your identity.

Also, if you have not reformatted your hard drive in some time, it is quite likely that at least some low-level spyware has found its way into your system. While it may not be the most dangerous kind, its presence will adversely impact your computer’s performance. Even if the symptoms are minimal, any form of spyware residing on your computer increases your vulnerability. You need to remove it to close up that security hole and prevent something worse from installing itself later.

Apart from being difficult to find, spyware is also difficult to get rid of. If you don’t manage to get rid of the entire spyware program, most of them can then reinstall themselves, therefore it’s essential to use special software to successfully locate and uninstall it.

Spyware, even non-invasive spyware, can cause a host of problems for your computer and put you at risk for identity theft. If your computer is infected, you’ll probably notice it’s running slower, but there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes as well. Even a seemingly innocuous spyware program can attract malicious programs that can record personal and financial data. If you think your computer might be infected, you should make it a top priority to remove it before it’s able to collect and disseminate your personal information.

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