Spyware is serious business. If you think that it’s only a mild threat that affects “other people” then you might want to think again. It’s estimated that as much as 8 out of 10 computers are infected with some sort of spyware.

Spyware comes in many disguises and some are designed to simply track your surfing habits (advertisers use this data to great effect) while others are down right criminal and aim to steal valuable information from your computer. Since most people now do online banking and enter their valuable credit card information on web forms, criminals obviously saw an opportunity for an easy steal.

When it comes to protecting yourself and securing your computer there are just so many things to look out for. There really are a lot of good spyware remover software on the market and not only will they protect you from the threats of malware, they will eliminate all those unwanted applications that can severely affect the speed and performance of your computer.

Here are the 5 most important things to look out for when looking for spyware removal tools.

1. Deep Scan Capabilities
These days adware and spyware can really creep into the deppest and darkest of places on your computer. It can be really hard to find these infected files. Spyware removers will scan your entire computer and look for these files. A really good spyware remover will do a deep scan and drill all the way down to the “kernel-level”.

This means that it won’t just scan your memory, but it will scan your entire hard drive, registry, memory and even external devices like flash drives. Some will even scan your inbox to ensure you don’t have any infected emails.

2. Ability To Delete Adware And Disable Threats
Finding spyware on your computer is one thing. Getting rid of it is quite another. It’s not nearly as simple as you might think. Some of the really “smart” spyware programs can attach themselves to your system files which makes deleting them really difficult.

Merely isolating the problem is not always good enough. You need to get the spyware off your computer for good to know that you are safe from preying eyes. Different spyware removers have different ways of dealing with this. Please refer to my reviews for more information.

3. Easy To Use and Intuitive Interface
After reviewing dozens of spyware and adware removers, I am still surprised how some of the really good ones can be so difficult to use. Some of them, you will literally download the software, install it and then look at this “blank” interface.

Having something that is user friendly and intuitive is just as important as having something that really good. Like with all software, your spyware software will just be as good as how you use it. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to watch 5 tutorial videos just to learn how to use the damn thing.

5. KEEPS Your Computer Safe And Free From Spyware
Removing spyware is one thing. Keeping spyware off your computer is quite another. The real purpose of a good spyware remover is not just to eliminate the threat of spyware from your computer, but to KEEP you safe in the future. A good spyware remover will have a “monitor” feature build into it that installs itself permanently on your computer and automatically protects you while you are online.

Whenever a potential Trojan, worm or dialer wants to install itself, your spyware remover will detect it and prevent it from installing itself in the first place.

5. Use Minimal Resources
Apart from keeping your computer safe from the harmful threats of spyware, you want to get rid of all the malware that’s clogging up your computer and jeopardizing the performance of your computer. If your spyware monitor takes up too much of your system resources (mostly memory) it can severely slow down your computer.

You want a lightweight spyware remover that can run quietly in the background and eliminate all potential threats that are trying to get unto your computer. Typically spyware removers will load into your computer’s memory upon startup and if it takes up too much resources, it will cause your computer to be too slow.