Sure we realize the title of this entry may be a little offensive but that is sort of the point, we wanted to get your attention. So much is written about spyware removal, all the various software people use, the guides, and manual removal instructions, literally millions of “solutions” to the problem when there really is one single way to be 100% sure you remove spyware from your computer and that is never getting it in the first place.

Sure that sounds easy, not getting spyware and all but it really is that easy. Most types of spyware are very easy to avoid simply by being a smart web browser. There are a few types of course that are really tough to avoid and there is very little you can do. We want to remind you that there is no shame in getting spyware. A lot of people get it, even the team here at Be Your Own IT has gotten spyware a time or two. Below were going to try and give you a few tips on how to avoid getting spyware.

1.Go Slow!-Don’t be so quick to click on things. People who create spyware want to trick you into getting it on your system. Even the most trusted sites like download.com does not directly give you spyware but the space it rents out to advertisers is used in a very deceiving. Below is a picture of a page you see when trying to download MalwareBytes, one of the most popular spyware removal programs on the market. You will notice there is an ad at the top of the page that says “download now” that is just an advertisement for something else, the real download link is further down the page. People who want to get click happy are often fooled by ads like this. Be aware of what you click on you may be getting more than you bargained for.

2.Be Aware!-Whenever you are installing any program whether it is on the web or on your computer make sure you go through the installation steps one by one and be aware. Even free software has to make some money and the way they do that is by piggy backing other programs onto your PC during their install. Thankfully most of them give you an option to not install them but by default they will be checked to be installed. To avoid this with each step of any software install read things carefully.

While these are not every and all ways to avoid a spyware infection when you combine them with smart web browsing you will be pretty darn safe. Smart web browsing is, going slow, being aware of what you’re clicking on, accepting the fact that there is almost nothing that is free, and sticking to websites that are not sketchy like software piracy or movie download sites. If you stick to these guidelines you will be more than safe.