Most of us know to open files only from trusted sources; however, the chances of inadvertently opening a bad file or browsing in dangerous territory are still alarmingly high.
After all, these programs are designed to trick us — they'll use every enticing approach possible in order to get into your system. Online privacy is crucial and some great free tools have been developed to combat spyware.
Here are our favorites:
Spybot Search and Destroy: Scans your system for spyware threats and removes them.
ZoneAlarm: Protects your system from hackers and worms.
Microsoft AntiSpyware: Allows you to manually scan for spyware or schedule automatic scans on a regular basis.
AVG Anti-Virus Plus Firewall: This free anti-virus tool also helps maintain privacy and protects your personal information.