Microsoft has received no small amount of flack for their decision to downgrade Claria (aka Gator/GAIN) detection in the Windows AntiSpyware beta. Though Claria software is still detected, the recommended action is now set to 'Ignore'. Previous versions of Windows AntiSpyware had recommended Claria software be removed.

SPY and SPY Act have passed Congress, but some experts believe the bills miss the heart of the problem - and leave those who fight against adware/spwyare at risk

Microsoft's decision to enter the spyware arena has not been without controversy. Those who blame Internet Explorer and Windows for the current spyware problem charge that the software giant is poised to charge for the misfortune they've allegedly caused.

The headline of an August 2004 press release from EarthLink screams, "TWO MILLION SCANS UNCOVER 55 MILLION INSTANCES OF SPYWARE". And the same source reports that as of Sept 27, 2004, a total of 3,219,855 had uncovered an average of 26 traces of spyware per scan.

Considering the lengths some companies will go to in order to ensure their adware/spyware cannot be easily removed, the best protection is prevention. Fortunately, preventing adware and spyware is simple enough and won't cost you a dime.

Often accused of being drive-by downloads, these pesky Internet parasites can quickly take advantage of an improperly secured system, embedding themselves as a "browser help object" and redirecting you to a host of unsavory sites.

Your computer, or those of the people in your organization, is possibly being used to send spam, harvest e-mail addresses for spam, make purchases using stolen credit cards or take part in a denial of service (DoS) attack, where an army of computers shuts down a Web site by flooding its servers with HTTP requests.

Spyware programs range from annoying to the dangerous, including keyboard loggers and screen capture applications that can steal passwords and other sensitive information. The programs are sometimes bundled in with shareware or freeware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Often times they claim to be helpful utilities that also carry a more sinister side.

Adware is a type of program that displays ads just like those on most commercial Web sites, but they are controlled by the program instead of by visiting a Web site. Some of these programs are not a problem, because they make it obvious that viewing the ads pays for a free piece of software. They only run when you are using that particular program.

There are some information about storm worm.