TABLE OF CONTENTS In many cases, the old adage of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is very true. Unfortunately, more often than not, spyware (and antivirus) definitions are a step behind when it comes to new attacks.
When this occurs, we often need to find other ways of detecting and removing these nuisances from our systems. There are two forms of spyware detection in these situations: manual and assisted. It s important to note that we used the word assisted and not automated. We need to be clear that even these tools need some knowledge and understanding when looking for spy-ware. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the manual methods for removing spyware as well as some tools we can use to assist us in this process.
The Microsoft Windows operating system is easily the most popular operating system in use today, and it provides very efficient and streamlined access to data and applications. It is powerful enough to run mission-critical networks, but it is also user-friendly enough for home computer users. Striking a fine balance in terms of performance, convenience, and security is hard to accomplish, and unfortunately, sometimes in modern Windows operating systems security has taken a back seat to convenience and performance. In situations like these, gaps within the operating system s security model allow malicious applications and spyware to gain a foothold in the system and ultimately infect the entire computer. Due to the recent barrage of...
