One in twenty computers with an internet connection may be harbouring unwanted "spyware" programs that can record a user's computer use, generate nuisance pop-up ads and may pose a security risk, suggests a US study.

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994745

spybot search and destroy www.security.kolla.de/

AdAware www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

spybot and adaware are two programs you should run at least once a month on your computer, and at the same time check and see if there are updated reference files for both programs.

spybot and adaware are two programs you should run at least once a month

Once a day is recommended, at startup. I get more than 50 hits a day.

forget about downloading anything

i even throw out all files from those i know

.scr

.exe

.com

.???

whatever shit / except SOMETIMES

.doc

sometimes means 9 out of 9.1 is thrown out anyway

who cares from who...

and a good firewall would be not that bad ..

either zonealarm, tiny perrsonal firewall or else, but beware some are not 100% safe

francois