Step 9: Plan ahead for new spyware tactics

What of future spyware infestations? Even though it's much harder to infect a machine now than in the past, spyware authors are unfortunately becoming much more clever. The rise in the popularity of Firefox, for instance, has people worried that Firefox-specific exploits will be soon be written to inject spyware into a computer. Many of the most sophisticated new breeds of spyware register themselves as operating system components, and can only be teased out by a very experienced user.

The good news is that the defensive line against spyware is also rising just as rapidly. Most out-of-the-box Windows machines (at the time of this writing) are nowhere nearly as vulnerable to spyware as they were even six months ago. Better yet, most antivirus and defensive-software makers are taking spyware more seriously as a threat, and finding ever-better ways to counter it that don't require dedicated programs or low-level system hacking.


How to remove spyware

 Home: Introduction
 Step 1: Get familiar with spyware now if not already
 Step 2: Know where spyware comes from
 Step 3: Recognize how spyware acts
 Step 4: Understand what damage spyware can cause
 Step 5: Choose tools to clean up spyware
 Step 6: Use these advanced techniques to clean up spyware
 Step 7: Install service packs to prevent spyware infections
 Step 8: Take additional initiatives to prevent spyware infections
 Step 9: Plan ahead for new spyware tactics

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Serdar Yegulalp
Serdar Yegulalp is the editor of the Windows 2000 Power Users Newsletter. Check it out for the latest advice and musings on the world of Windows network administrators -- and please share your thoughts as well!
Copyright 2005 TechTarget

This was first published in June 2005

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