Special Report: Putting Spyware In Front Of The Firing SquadSpecial Report: Putting Spyware In Front Of The Firing Squad

Spyware is emerging as the biggest threat to privacy and productivity on the Internet. A recent study by America Online and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications found that 80 percent of PCs were infected by some form of spyware, and each infected PC had an average 90 different spyware packages installed.

In another study, IT managers rated spyware as the number one threat to their networks.

At best, spyware slows down PCs and makes them unstable. At worst, spyware can result in a serious information breach, resulting in identity theft for individuals, and disclosure of confidential and proprietary data for businesses.

Security Pipeline assembled a package of articles to help you identify and eliminate spyware from your individual PC and enterprise network.

- Spyware Protection For Everyone

- Spyware Protection For The Large Organization

Spyware Protection For Everyone
Spyware And Your PC: Keeping It Out, Getting Rid Of It
Best practices for individual PC users looking to keep spyware-free, along with tips for getting rid of spyware if you get infected anyway.

What's The Difference Between Spyware And Viruses?
They're both infections that can damage your computer, but the goals of the authors, techniques and damage they can do are very different. Learn how to tell them apart. First of a series on anti-spyware for the consumer and enterprise.

Spyware: How To Clean It Off An Infected PC
Simple instructions on how to figure out of a PC has been infected by spyware, and how to get rid of it. Second of a series on anti-spyware for individual PCs and enterprise networks.

First Look: Microsoft AntiSpyware 1.0 Beta Is A Winner
TechWeb Pipelines Editor Scot Finnie finds that the new software effectively finds spyware while not mistakenly tagging benign software.

Do Anti-Spyware Vendors Have Too Much Power?
- The Other Side Of Spyware: Take II
- What Spyware Is And Isn't.
- The Other Side Of Spyware

Recommended PC Anti-Spyware Products
Columnist Wayne Rash provides an overview of products designed to clean your PC of spyware, and block the infections from coming back. He looks at popular packages for individual PCs, with some versions designed for networks.

Spyware: Can Government Help?
Despite the apparent toothlessness of the CAN-SPAM law, IT executives haven't given up hope that government action can help against spyware.

Spyware Protection For The Large Organization
How To Keep Spyware Off Your Enterprise Network
Spyware isn't just a problem for consumers. It sneaks onto enterprise networks, costing productivity and threatening to divulge confidential data. Learn what the risks are, and what steps you should take to protect your network and business.

Companies Arm Themselves For New Fight Against Spyware
Companies are allocating more IT dollars to fighting the twin scourges of spyware and adware, while continuing to pump time and money into keeping spam of every variety under control.