Spyware is the newest epidemic to hit PCs

yaledailynews.com - Spyware is the newest epidemic to hit PCs

This is a good article about the nature and reality of spyware from Yale Daily News. Since much spyware comes from ostensibly free software it is important to be careful with what one downloads - always read the license agreement and download only from reputable sights. Some major problem sources are file sharing software like Kazaa or Grokster and continuing issues with Internet Explorer. Since university computers are used by thousands of students and faculty, they can be very susceptible to spyware. Good ways of protection are keeping your operating system updated, avoiding suspicious software, and using an alternative browser like Firefox or Opera. Programs like Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Microsoft's Antispyware software are good means of dealing with spyware that does make it onto your computer.