Microsoft Releases Anti-Spyware Beta

As previously announced, Microsoft has now placed the anti-spyware tools it acquired last month when it bought Giant Software. Now that Windows XP Service Pack 2 has blocked many, although not all, of the vulnerabilities open to virus writers, spyware is set to become the biggest headache for end-users in 2005. The purchase of Giant Software is Microsoft’s attempt to secure Windows from spyware before it reaches epidemic proportions, although some experts think that many computers already have dozens of pieces of spyware installed.

Depending on your definition, spyware ranges from tracking cookies set by advertising companies to software that hijacks your computer and applications (usually Internet Explorer) to display annoying ads. At its most serious, spyware can be used to monitor user activity to gather sensitive personal data.

The Windows anti-spyware beta consists of scanning software to check a system for infections and a ’security agent’ that, Microsoft says, monitors 59 checkpoints at the Internet, system and application level on your computer and blocks any infection attempt.

..The Microsoft anti-spyware beta is available from its downloads site.

ComputerBuyer
Microsoft Releases Anti-Spyware Beta