Spyware

Microsoft has confirmed plans to bundle anti-spyware protection into Windows Vista , a move that is sure to raise eyebrows among competitors and possibly antitrust regulators.

Microsoft has apologised for serving malware via its websites and Windows Live Messenger software. APC reader Jackie Murphy reported the problem: "With Microsoft launching Vista along with their Defender software to protect users from viruses and spyware, it seems therefore to be an oxymoron that they have started to putting paid changing banner advertisements for malware, on the popular MSN ...

Security site Check Point has issued a set of updates which correct a compatibility issue with the latest Microsoft security update. The company has posted updated versions of its ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, Pro, Antivirus, Anti-Spyware and Basic Firewall offerings.

Good name limbo Substitute teacher turned smut-serving spyware suspect Julie Amero remains stuck in legal limbo, with the case taking a toll on both her health and job prospects, Connecticut paper the Hartford Courant reports.…

Paranoid man goes walkabout Fears are growing over the safety of the founder of anti-spyware firm Webroot following his disappearance late last month.…

Got this in a email this morning, makes me sad, maybe you can help,,,
I feel as if my concerns are not being given adequate
attention with my elected officials.
Especially the ones I voted into office.

Dear Friend of Freedom,

In a move that I can only describe as cowardice, Congress
just passed legislation meant to immunize telephone
companies for their illegal, disloyal, and irresponsible
behavior. EFF has been fighting against telecom immunity,
and we need your help to bring the fight to the next level:

http://secure.eff.org/wiretapping

Two and a half years ago, EFF sued AT&T on behalf of its
customers, seeking to hold the telecom giant responsible
for its craven complicity in the White House’s illegal
warrantless wiretapping program.

Since then, the phone companies and their allies in
Washington have spent tens of millions of dollars lobbying
Congress to grant them retroactive immunity. They ran
ridiculous fear-mongering attack ads against any politician
who dared to oppose them. President Bush threatened to veto
any bill that allowed EFF’s lawsuit to continue.

Yesterday, Congress completely capitulated to the
President’s threats and voted to let the telecoms off the
hook. If the telecoms are not held accountable, the
administration will remain unchecked in its warrantless
wiretapping of innocent Americans. This must stop!

We need your help to take the fight to the next level.
We’re going to challenge Congress’s unconstitutional grant
of immunity in our case against AT&T. We’re going to fight
for a congressional repeal of immunity in the next
Congress. And we’re going to file a new lawsuit against the
government, challenging its warrantless surveillance
practices, past, present and future.

Now, more than ever, we need your support!

http://secure.eff.org/wiretapping

The fight for civil liberties would never have come this
far without your help. We can’t give up now. Help EFF
today!

Sincerely,
Shari

–
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shari Steele
Executive Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco CA 94110
http://www.eff.org/

Membership & donation queries:
membership@eff.org

All other queries:
information@eff.org

It would be nice to have an article one can recommend to people who ask - save the trouble of writing it oneself. But this really isn't it. It is a bit better than nothing. But basically all it says is use MS anti spyware and Hijack this, and don't sign on as root.

Fears are growing over the safety of the founder of anti-spyware firm Webroot following his disappearance late last month.

Trend Micro Inc., a global provider of Internet content security , spyware protection and virus scan solutions, announced Tuesday a core set of software and hosted medium business security solutions, all tailored to focus upon issues such as Web threats, employee/company privacy, data leak prevention, email archiving, virus scan, spyware protection, and content filtering.