Users stop fighting back against spyware

[Steve]

Wired.com are running an article on the number of users who can't be bothered to protect against spyware and adware. It would seem many of them are prepared to put up with it... something of a necessary evil.

"Typically the assumption has been that spyware sneaks onto computers, or users are unaware of what they have agreed to install," said Gregg Mastoras, a senior security analyst at antivirus vendor Sophos. "But some people actually do knowingly install adware because they want to use a particular application that comes bundled with it. Some just aren't particularly concerned by adware's presence on their computers."

This is a real shame, given that there is just about always a spyware-free alternative to a piece of software.

Read the full story.

[joshwa]

i had a rant about adware/spyware this morning: http://nelsoncolne.blogspot.com/2004...ownloaded.html

it's getting everywhere - the amount of "search bars" that are complete tosh is getting really annoying - and the amount the adware/spyware interferes with internet explorer is really annoying.

[iMc]

imo Windows is unusable as an Internet machine without Spywareblaster/Adaware/Spybot and the like. Within 2 months an average user usually has a computer full of crap and can't open an IE window without pop ups filling the screen or search bars in the way.

[Vibein]

Windows ADTools is a persistent bugger, another app to use is hijackthis