Malicious software or also usually known as malware is a program/software designed to infiltrate a computer system. Malware can infect a computer by sneaking in via email, downloads on the internet, or infected programs. This malware has many types, one of the most famous is Spyware. Because of that, it is important for you to know how to detect spyware.
The danger is, malware can damage computer systems and even risk theft of important data or information. Generally this happens when a user downloads software from an illegal place or a link in an email is inserted with malware. This Spyware type malware can be likened to a virus that can not only interfere with the performance of your device, but also steal your important data.
How Do I Manually Detect Spyware?
The truth is, it is actually quite hard to detect Spyware or other types of Malware manually. A device that is already infected with this Spyware may not show any significant signs at all which you can observe until it is too late. That's why you should use a help tool or platform to detect it.
Before we go into a deeper discussion about how to detect Spyware on your computer devices, it is better that we first discuss what Spyware is. A better understanding of Spyware can help you to know what to detect and the signs you can observe if your device is infected.
So, this spyware is a kind of virus that enters your device in various ways. But mainly, this spyware can enter because of downloading activities on unsafe websites, or using plug-in devices that have also been infected with Spyware.
As the name suggests, Spyware itself is devoted to 'spying' or sucking in any important or personal information on your device. This can be dangerous, especially if your device contains credit card information or confidential documents.
So how to detect Spyware? You can use HijackThis or NetSat for Windows computers and use Terminal for Mac devices.
Can You Trace Spyware?
Yes, now there are many platforms, apps, or tools that can help you to trace whether your device has Spyware and can even tell you where the Spyware came from.
However, not all tools or platforms provide this trace feature, most of them only make it easy for users to detect it, without additional features that can tell where Spyware is infecting their devices.
Usually, this tracing feature is an additional feature or a premium feature that users can purchase when using a platform to detect whether their device is infected with Spyware or other types of Malware.
Is Spyware Hard to Detect?
For easy problems or not detecting a Spyware, it again depends on the type of Spyware. Spyware is divided into different types and classes again. There are many types of Spyware that can threaten your device.
This can be divided according to its level, some are very sophisticated so they are very difficult to detect and are usually used for professionals, or some are ordinary spyware which is usually spread randomly and en masse through illegal websites.
So, even though you know how to detect Spyware, there is a possibility that the Spyware will escape the detection program if it is too sophisticated and has been specially designed so that it can escape all kinds of platforms that guarantee it can detect Spyware for free.
Is There an App That Detects Spyware?
Yes, as previously mentioned, there are already a wide range of platforms, tools, and especially applications that can help you detect Spyware on your device. If on a computer or laptop device you can use platforms or apps such as HijackThis or Terminal, on a smartphone device you have much more choices.
Many applications are specially designed to be able to detect Spyware for free on smartphone devices. You can even easily get these apps from the Appstore and Playstore for free. Not infrequently there are also applications that are paid and promise more promising and comprehensive results.
That’s some brief explanation on how to detect Spyware on your computer, and also a little information on detecting Spyware on your smartphone. Also read on popular technology tips here.