Antispyware and Antimalware resources

Spyware: your worst nightmare You think viruses, worms, and spam are bad? Spyware is worse... Spyware installs on your computer, without your knowledge and permission. Sometimes called adware, nastyware, crapware, scumware, and worse, it's all aggravating, and intrusive. More...	What's The Difference Between Spyware And Viruses? The average Internet user can't distinguish viruses from spyware. The differences are subtle. Both are malicious code: uninvited, intrusive, and destructive. Both can capture or destroy data. Both disrupt business. More...	How To Keep Spyware Off Your Enterprise Network Spyware is challenging spam and viruses for the top spot on IT worry lists. Spyware poses considerable threats and risks to enterprise networks and remediation and countermeasures are now being regarded as critical to network security. More...
Why is spyware so persistent a threat? How can spyware websites continue to operate once they are discovered? Once spyware infests a computer, its mission is to spy upon the PC user, or to redirect or force the user to visit an affiliate web site. A second and equally important goal for spyware is to evade detection, so that it can continue its primary mission. More...	Identifying Spyware Processes on Your PC Spyware is downloaded from many locations, delivered in many packages, and installed in many locations on your PC. Spyware writers constantly alter their packages to evade your detection. Even with best available defenses, you are still at risk. If you notice spyware symptoms on your PC, don't be afraid to investigate. More...	Spyware Risk: It's Time to Get Smart Many users vaguely understand the risks associated with having spyware secretly and maliciously installed on their computers. Fewer users know the many forms spyware takes and the full gamut of malicious activities it performs. Your ignorance is a spyware writer's bliss. A little education can go a long way to reducing your risk of infestation. More...
Spyware Remediation: It's Not "Mission Impossible Small and medium businesses are ripe targets for spyware. But SMBs can implement an effective anti-spyware program on a shoe string budget. Adopt the practices recommended here, carefully select anti-spyware helpware, and you can mount a serious defense against spyware.	You call it spyware, I call it lieware. The difficulty with describing spyware is that what an attacker can do once he owns someone's browser is pretty much a green field. In a WatchGuard interview, I explain "...the range of deceptive practices from spyware reach farther than most people realize." The permutations of bad are endless. More...	The Top 5 Enterprise Antispyware Needs Good enterprise IT organizations appreciate the importance of orderly processes and centralized control. As they deploy currently available technology to combat spyware, enterprise IT staff keep sight of the requirements to integrate antispyware measures into standard desktop administration. More...
Deceptive 'Ads by Google' Several companies are hijacking the good name of Spybot Search & Destroy with the text they use in Ads by Google. NoAdware uses "Spybot Search & Destroy ?" and "Free Spy Bot Scan" SpywareNuker uses "Search & Destroy Spybot". Check the URL in Ads by Google before you visit, and complain to Google.	When It Comes To Anti-Spyware Tools, Accuracy Is Key How good is your anti-spyware? Can yours "detect 40,000 parasite definitions"? Can yours search for 53,248 spyware components?" Only 22, 984? Wimp! But wait, how can the wimp be rated fifth best out of 20 in a comparative review? What are we counting here? Are we all using base 10 arithmetic? More...	Anton Chuvakin on Spyware Colleague Anton Chuvakin posted a solid and up to date article on spyware on O'Reilly's Windows Dev Center. Anton offers a good taxonomy of spyware and an equally good explanation of countermeasures and recovery procedures. Anton reiterates one piece of advice I routinely see in antispyware articles: More...
Antivirus and anti-spyware software should be the sameware Every network client must have antivirus software. We've been told so for years, and the message is finally sinking in. Concern over spyware is increasing so rapidly that I fully expect that antispyware, too, will be a prerequisite for network logon. More...	Legislation Won't Stall The Spyware Juggernaut Spyware has reached epidemic proportions. Lawmakers are drafting bills to prohibit its distribution, stem abusive practices and protect Internet user privacy. But pending and recently enacted anti-spyware laws are flawed and could do more harm than good. More...	Quantifying the Spyware Problem StaySafeOnline hosts the results of an online safety study conducted by AOL and NCSA. The figures on spyware are staggering: over 88 per cent of users who agreed to have their systems scanned discovered spyware and, on average, users detected 93 pests per PC. More...

The resources here provide valuable information to help you understand spyware and adware, and the threats they pose. I have found the software I recommend here to be legitimate and helpful. Good luck, and be safe...dmp

You may also find my Phishing and Identity Theft page, valuable as well.

The Security Skeptic's Weblog also contains information about spyware, phishing, viruses and worms.

Activism, Discussion Groups and Forums, Legislation

Note: Forums provide opportunities to discuss and solve spyware related problems. Like any discussion group, some people are well-intentioned and others not so. Use your head!

AOL/NCSA Online Safety Study at StaySafeOnline.info
Spyware Info Forums (SWI)
The GetNetWise organization
Privacy Watch at COTSE.NET
Spyware Warrior Forumns
CounterExploitation Discussion Boards
Spyware Weekly Newsletter (Archive)
Virus.org
Antivirus Software: About.com 
Michael Horowitz's Malware Links

Helpful abstracts for articles on spyware (how does he find the time?)

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US House Bill H.R.2929: SPY ACT

US Senate Bill S. 2145: SPY BLOCK Act
(US) Bill Internet Spyware Prevention Act (ISPA)
(US) Piracy Deterrence and Education Act (PDEA).

Spyware and Malware Encyclopedia and Resource Centers

Pest Patrol Research Center

Comprehensive Encyclopedia with painstaking attention to removal details

Viruslist.com

Excellent malware/spyware database, good source for malware statistics.

Kaspersky Labs Internet Threats Resource pages

Information about current cyber threats (basic definitions and analysis). Find the Kaspersky Virus Encyclopedia here.

Trend Virus Encyclopedia

Microsoft Malware Protection Center Portal
Panda Security Malware Encyclopedia
Advertising Spyware List: CEXX.org
Spyware list: Trend Micro

Articles

Note: These sites were "clean" when I visited them.
Some presented related popups. Your mileage may vary.

General

What is spyware?: Anton Chuvakin
Attack Of The RAM Scrapers: Keith Ferrell
Zeus Trojans: Worst Threat Yet?: Dave Piscitello
What is Malware?: Adam Baratz
What is Malware? (3 part article): GBXOnline
What is Malware?: Shadowserver Foundation
My site's been hacked: Google
Malware: EFF Surveillance Self Defense Project
Spyware and Adware Prevention : Intranet Journal
Microsoft KBA 827315:Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
Avoid and Stop Adware, Popups & Spyware from being installed via ActiveX: CompuDocs
Security and Privacy Online: Coyote.org
The Truth about Spyware: Webroot.com
How spyware & adware programs threaten network security & performance: Window Security Magazine
Understanding Spyware, Browser Hijackers, and Dialers: Bleeping Computer

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Windows Vista: Virus, Spyware, Malware Removal: Winvistaclub.com
Viruses/Spyware/Malware Removal Guide: Windows 7 Forum
Malware Troubles? Start from Square One: Roger Grimes
Is It a Virus?: Lincoln Spector
The Most Damaging Malware: Mary Landesman
How to Remove Spyware From Your PC: Andrew Brandt
Spyware Explained: InformIT
Removing Spyware: Michael Horowitz
Identify Malware Hiding in Windows' System Folders Andrew Brandt
John's Malware Guide: Elitekiller.com
Malware Myths and Misinformation, Part One: Windows, Mac, Exchange, and IIS: David Harley
Malware Myths and Misinformation, Part Two: Attachments, AV Software and Firewalls: David Harley

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Fighting Spyware with Unified Threat Management: Lisa Phifer
Identifying Spyware Processes on your PC: Dave Piscitello
How to Protect Your Computer from Spyware and Adware: Jerry Honeycutt
find Unsolicited Commercial Software: doxdesk
Spyware and deceptive software: Microsoft Trustworthy Computing
What you can do about spyware and other unwanted software: Microsoft
How to Stop an ActiveX Control from Running in Internet Explorer: Microsoft KBA - 240797
What are parasites?: Spyware News
Beware of Back Channels: Dave Piscitello
Spyware: They came from cyberspace: Dwight Silvermann

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Is Someone Watching You?: Lisa Phifer
Wicked Code: Foiling Session Hijacking Attempts: Jeff Procise
Can Anything Stem the Spyware Tide?: Anush Yegyazarian
Spyware removal help: PCHell
US-CERT Tip ST04-016: Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware
Viruses, Spyware & Malware: MIT IT

Key Loggers and Rootkits

Rootkits 101: Lisa Phifer
How to detect and prevent keylogger attacks: Mike Chapple
Introduction to Keyloggers: Sachin Shetty
All about keyloggers: ActualSpy.com
Detecting Keyloggers: Sandboxie
Keyloggers: How they work and how to detect them: Nikolay Grebennikov
How to detect keylogger on my computer ? List of Free Antikeyloggers: Wikia.com
Stealth Viruses and Rootkits: Cknow
What is a rootkit?: PCmech.com
Rootkits: The Obscure Hacker Attack: Mike Danseglio and Tony Bailey

Symptoms

Symptoms of Spyware and Other Pests: Intranet Journal
Symptoms of Infection: MalwareHelp.org
Think you're infected with malware? Check the common symptoms and take action: Sandi Hardmeier
Symptoms of Spyware:GetWise.org
11 Signs of Spyware: PC Magazine
How to check for spyware: Directory-One
WinNT Task Processs Library

Visit this site to identify a process (e.g., dsentry.exe., backweb.exe) as spyware.

Browser Exploitation and Hijacking, ActiveX Controls

Browser Hijacking: Mike Healan

What is browser hijacking?: Microsoft
How to Detect Browser Hijacking With SpywareGuard: eHow.com
How to Fix Browser Hijacking: eHow.com
Take control of Internet Explorer... before spyware does: Dave Piscitello
What is a Browser Helper Oject?: MarOps.com
The CoolWebSearch Chronicles: Merijn.org
Blocking unwanted hosts with a hosts file
Preventing a Hijacking: Mike Healan
Understanding security zones: Microsoft XP Pro Documentation
Browser Helper Objects: Microsoft

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Web Browser Hijacking: What Is It and How Can You Protect Yourself?: Joe St Sauver

Beginners Guides: Browser Hijacking and How to Stop It:PCstats
How to use HijackThis to remove Browser Hijackers and Spyware: Bleeping Computer
HijackThis Log Tutorial: Merijn Bellekom
Web Browser Hijacking: Michael Desrosiers
Safe Initialization and Scripting for ActiveX Controls: Microsoft
Browser Security Settings: Coyote.org
BHO List: SpywareInfo
SP2 vs. the Plug-ins: Paul Festa
Spyware Watch

Ad server blocking

Block List @ pgl.yoyo.org
Ad blocking with ad server hostnames and IP addresses
Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File
Blocking ad servers with dnsmasq: Debian
Howto Block Unwanted Content From the Net in XP/2000
Blocking ads on the Internet
Ad server blocking using hosts files @ pgl.yoyo.org
IE-SPYAD: Restricted Sites List for Internet Explorer
AGNIS: AtGuard/NIS/NPF Ad Block List
Using IE-Spyad to enhance your privacy and security
ProWAGoN 3.0.0: NIS/NPF Block List Utility
Neutering Ad and Spyware: cexx.org
Messenger Service SPAM

Web Bugs

Web Bugs: SpywareInfo What is a Web Bug? 
Web bugs in email
The Web Bug FAQ: EFF.org
Web Bugs Can Make Your Privacy Sick
Privacy Policy versus Web Bugs
Web Bugs - Here are the rules!The Register (UK)

Cookies

Cookie Central
Anti-Spyware Cookie Detection
Cookies Detected by Anti-Spyware Programs: Ben Edelman
Information About Cookies on Microsoft.com
HowStuffWorks: How Internet Cookies work
Definition of "cookie" at GetNetWise