Thread: Is this spyware for real?

I have.started getting an annoYing pop-up message on my computer about every five minutes telling me that my computer is a risk from virus and spyware. I also have a flashing red and blue shield on my taskbar. When I right-click on the shield or click on the message it connects me to a website advertising something called Virus Heat. How did I get this and how can I get rid of it?

That sounds like a spyware infection in itself, which is masquerading as a legitimate anti-spyware tool. Sadly, that's one of the tools these programs use to trick users into installing them. Tt may have installed itself after you clicked an advertisement online, or you may have been infected by a virus that installed the spyware.

If you have a full security program installed, make sure it is up to date, then run a full system scan to pick up and viruses and spyware. Otherwise, download both
an anti-virus program and an anti-spyware program, update both using the options in each program, and run a full scan of each to get rid of the infection.

You can find several such free programs on our cover mounted disc, but we'd recommend AVG or Avast for v-iruses and Ad-aware, Spyware Doctor or Spybot Search & Destroy for spyware.