Spyware Software Buyer's Guide
With spyware on the increase, and more users than ever at risk, the anti spyware software market is bursting with tools that promise to clean every bit of spyware from your PC. If you're in looking for a decent spyware tool, here's some important things to consider before reaching for your credit card.
Is it easy to use?
Thankfully, most modern spyware removal tools don't require a degree in software engineering to be able to use them. They're designed with your everyday user in mind. After installing the software, it should be a one-click operation to perform a scan and remove the spyware. The interface design is important.Realtime protection
Spyware comes wave after wave and it's vital that your spyware tool not only scans and removes what's already infected your system, but that it also stands guard as threats are inbound. Most spyware tools offer some level of ongoing protection. But there's some that don't offer any!Product updates
The people who create spyware threats are always coming up with new and better ways to invade and abuse your PC. So it's essential that your spyware software is constantly updated with the latest database and protection. Make sure you get a tool that offers several updates per week. Better still, daily updates.Customer support
This is important. There's nothing worse than having a burning question or problem with a spyware tool and not being able to get an answer. While every spyware tool promises to offer amazing levels of support, not all do. The reviews on this site tested the support you can expect from spyware manufacturers.Price
As with any purchase, price is always a factor. Spyware tools retail at around $30 for a really good one. There's some cheaper ones that we found just weren't up to the task. And, oddly enough, some for up to $40 that didn't do the job. Don't think that the best tools are the most expensive. They're not.Length of cover
Spyware tools need to be constantly updated so that they can guard you against the latest threats. And this means that companies have to pour massive amounts of resources into researching and creating updates. These are free and are usually included in a year's worth of updates when you buy a tool.Make sure you don't buy a tool that offers 'lifetime updates'. It's likely you'll be left with a tool that's eventually not supported any longer, or that offers poor and infrequent updating.
Level of reporting
There's more to scanning your PC for spyware than running a scan and clicking 'clean'. I for one like to know what is going to be removed from my PC before hand. There's two bits of info a good spyware product will offer you:1) The severity of each threat.
2) More information about the threat.
Very few tools on the market get these two jobs right. And it's so important.
