Answer: Spyware normally refers to a computer program or group of programs that gather information about you and/or your computer and send that information through the Internet where it can then be read by anyone involved.

The information that spyware gathers can vary. Many spyware programs gather browsing habits such as a list of the web sites you visit or how often you visit a particular site.

Some forms of spyware are even more malicious and try to gather online banking information, social security numbers, phone numbers and addresses of your contacts, usernames and passwords for virtually every site you visit, and some go after documents and personal files.

Spyware can also be associated with other Internet threats such as viruses and malware. Sometimes spyware programs can lower security settings to allow other threats to have easier access to your computer.

Many times spyware comes bundled with other programs, often a free program that promises things such as free music, movies, or unlimited pornography. Sometimes spyware even pretends to be a spyware removal program or antivirus software. It will inform you that your computer is infected with viruses and/or spyware and some tell you that your computer contains a certain number of illegal files. Some even go so far as to create a few illegal files at the time of infection so that the program can be very convincing.

Bottom line: When in doubt, call the help desk. Don’t wait until the problems get worse. By then, someone may have already extremely violated your privacy, made off with your money, or even stolen your identity.