How to fight spyware

But it sure as hell will slow down the process..

Windows = Sucks.

 

Certainly they have motivation to make the facts look more severe than they are, that's business.. but we are seeing more java exploits out there, which can potentially affect everyone. At some point things are going to reach a saturation point, and they'll start getting in any nook and cranny they can. It's just like any other business. Look at advertising, and how it's in so many places that it wasn't not too long ago. The malware industry is just taking off and so only affecting the most popular of things right now, but they are already doing things like releasing large amounts of malware variants designed to only infect relatively small numbers of systems so that the AV companies won't bother adding them to the database.

Point is that things are just taking off. I'm not advocating taking a paranoid stance on the matter, but I also wouldn't advise people to only use Firefox with no security, either. You can't really get your bases covered if you can't look at these things objectively. The fact of the matter is that the malware writers are doing everything they can to get past basic precautions. As more and more people implement basic measures (firewall, AV, and more secure internet software), the malware will be designed to slip past that more and more, we're already starting to see that.

Again, I don't advocate taking a paranoid stance on the matter and loading software up to the gills. What I do advocate is taking basic precuations, hardening your system, and getting the basic security software (which is different than it was a year or two ago). I especially advocate those that sell hardware and do system repairs to study up on this stuff enough to tailor a solid defense for their customers. I've seen too many that just sell them Norton and don't bother with even the Windows Firewall. Realistically, there are too many users out there that are not saavy enough to figure this stuff out for themselves.. at least not from the start, which is when they're going to need it the most. Just saying that you'll be secure with Firefox forever does not strike me as responsible, prudent, or even reasonable.. especially considering many of these people don't know how to download and install an update. (Everyone has to start somewhere, and I don't believe in the idea that everyone should pour as much time into learning this stuff as we do. I had stated in another thread, and I think it's relevant here, that I would rather my doctor spend his/her time studying real virii than computer ones.)