Chapter 13. Blocking Spyware, Adware, and Other Unwanted Software

What Is Spyware? 432

Blocking Unwanted Software 436

Choosing and Using Anti-Spyware Tools 442

Rooting Out Spyware 451

When we wrote the first edition of this book in 2002, spyware was a relatively new phenomenon. For most people, it was either a minor nuisance or a non-issue, and in that earlier edition we dismissed the topic in four paragraphs. Three years later, the rogue's gallery of potentially unwanted software—also known as spyware, adware, browser hijackers, and a host of other, often unprintable names—has grown exponentially. Today, it is arguably the single largest annoyance afflicting Microsoft Windows users worldwide. It's also a serious security issue, and in this edition ...

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