Some people could be spying on your every movement, recording your credit card transactions or going through all the files on your system. While it is true that spyware seeks to monitor your internet activity with a view to targeting you with pop-ups and advertisements, the real risk is some users taking control of your computer, downloading your data then committing bank account or credit card fraud or worst case , stealing your identity. Some of the symptoms of spyware on you computer are: Slow performance – your system loads and charge more slowly than usual. Your browser homepage, or security settings have changed. Increased number of pop-ups or unsolicited advertisements. Your system crashes. While I let that sink in, let me tell you a something, how an computer became infected and what I did to repair the situation. I always thought that I was well secured from intrusions - running active antivirus, antispyware and firewall programs on my computer. The other day without warning my whole system stoped! My screen went blue, I kept getting a flashing message telling me that my computer had been infected and prompting me to go to a download site to obtain the latest anti-spyware solution. I didn't do that. The first thing that I did was pull the plug on my internet connection, then run my antispyware program. What happened next was really surprising. My antispyware software detected some 75 different spyware items but it could not eradicate them. This happened in spite of me running a full spyware scan of my computer the day before. I call my local technician who had built my system: "Restart your Windows in safe mode and run your antispyware software again". No changes. "What software are you using", I told him the name of a free antispyware program that I had downloaded from the web, "Well that's your problem, you need to be using much better programs" what do you recommend, I asked, CounterSpy he replied, "it's very powerful and it's what I would use to clean up your system if you bring it in". You get what you pay for - or in my case what I didn't pay for. I now know the downside of running free software, it just does not work as well. The other risk in using free software is that some unscrupulous operators have actually conned users into believing that they are downloading legal software when in fact what they are really getting is more spyware. Don't make the same mistake that I did!