Tips for spyware removal

CNET published an article with tips on how to use Windows XP features to remove spyware. The first tip covers setting restore points, which let you bring your computer back to an earlier state--for example, before you installed a program. Restore points can save you, but you have to be vigilant about setting them. For the second tip, you need Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed. The tip tells you how to use the add-on manager in Internet Explorer to get rid of browser helper objects, a device some spyware uses to infect computers. The most useful part of this tip is the suggestion to ditch Internet Explorer for Mozilla Firefox, a much more secure browser. The final tip deals less with technology and more with attitudes. It suggests being a lot more wary about installing software on your computer, an important mind-set for computer-security issues. However, with spyware installing itself through Web sites and Windows Media Player, this advice isn't bulletproof.
In other news, Microsoft may release a beta of its antispyware utility on Thursday. Because Microsoft bought Giant Software Company, the maker of its antispyware utility, just last December, I assume the only real development has been branding. We won't see any new features or functionality than what Giant AntiSpyware already delivered.