How to Detect Computer Monitoring on a Mac

With so much important personal and professional information being stored on home computers, the issue of security is an important one. Spyware (illegal computer-hacking software) programs and computer monitoring are very real threats to computer users everywhere. So if you own a Mac and think your computer may be hacked or monitored, you can take action to protect yourself. All it requires is the simple download of an effective freeware (free software) program from the Internet and a few moments of your time.


Instructions

1 Open the Internet browser on your Mac and navigate to the homepage of a free anti-spyware site. Third-party software needs to be installed in order to find any spyware on your Mac. Two good options are Ad-Aware 6 and MacScan (see "Resources").

2 Click on the "Download" tab at the top of the screen and wait for the new window to load. Choose the "Free Download" option on this screen.

3 Enter your contact information when prompted and click "Download." Wait for the program to install on your computer. You can monitor the status by checking the progress bar at the bottom of the window.

4 Close your Internet browser after the software is installed and open the program by clicking on its icon on the desktop.

5 Perform a search of spyware on your Mac by clicking on the appropriate tab when prompted on the main menu page of the anti-spyware program. If the program discovers any spyware or third-party monitoring of your Mac, you can choose to disable it from the same menu page in the program.