Redmond Joins Fight Against Spyware
When it comes to fighting spyware, even Bill Gates would rather buy it than build it.
In December 2004 Microsoft purchased the anti-spyware technology created by GIANT Company Software, and by the first week in January it had released a beta version of Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware, well ahead of its expected 2006 delivery date.
Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware
Microsoft's entry into the spyware arena comes not a moment too soon. A November 2004 study by research firm IDC estimates that 67 percent of consumer PCs are infected with some form of spyware. "Spyware" refers to any software that is covertly placed on a PC and that secretly gathers user information without the user's knowledge, typically for advertising purposes.
Beyond being a privacy threat, spyware can be a real nuisance, spawning pop-up windows not just when the user is online but even when the PC is not linked to the internet. A number of other notable players already have staked out their claims in the marketplace, including Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy. As usual, Microsoft's entry into the arena ups the ante considerably.
The beta version of Microsoft's anti-spyware offering essentially repackages the same set of tools offered by GIANT, tools that already have proven their efficacy on this complicated battlefield. The beta works on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.
The beta program detects existing spyware through a rapid scan of a PC's files and memory. A scanning scheduler sets regular times for full scans, while an online spyware library contains information about the spyware that is detected. The anti-spyware program also keeps tabs on the impact of spyware, with reports that alert the user as to applications that are running, current Internet Explorer settings (which can be altered by spyware), and unwanted networking activity that may be linking the PC to unwanted internet destinations.
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