Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware: MS Escalates the Fight Against Malware An Ounce of Prevention... Adam Stone
An Ounce of Prevention...
In addition to scanning for existing problems, Windows AntiSpyware protects against incoming spyware, applying more than 50 tests to ensure the legitimacy of incoming applications. Most suspect programs are blocked. If an unknown program reaches a checkpoint, the anti-spyware program asks the user whether or not the program should be allowed to continue.
In terms of the user experience, there is much to recommend in the structure established by GIANT AntiSpyware, a structure Microsoft can be expected to retain in future iterations. The straightfoward, easy to use interface enables a quick launch of the scan capability, along with up-front data on the latest scan run results, the next scheduled task, and statistics on the system's spyware status.
Once you've completed your initial scan and established all your settings, the anti-spyware client remains essentially invisible. It will scan as scheduled and will only send the occasional pop-up window above the system traybar when guidance is needed on how to handle a given item or when a new spyware definition file has been installed.
From a technological perspective, the logic developed by GIANT and incorporated by Microsoft depends in large measure on the efforts of real-life PC users. Through a worldwide community known as SpyNet, volunteers can report potential spyware to Microsoft, which then creates signatures for these newly-found spyware programs and makes those signatures available to all users. The Windows AntiSpyware AutoUpdater can automatically download and install these signatures in order to provide current coverage against the latest known threats. Microsoft says it will also have a research team dedicated to finding new spyware as it appears.
That's all well and good, but it does not erase the fundamental shortcoming of all anti-spyware programs, a shortcoming that is likely to plague even the mighty Microsoft.
By definition, you can only know what the program has caught. You cannot ever be certain that your anti-spyware has cleaned up everything on your system. Of course, one could just as well argue that if you don't know it is there, then it really doesn't matter. And if a tree falls in the woods ... well, let's leave that debate to the philosophers.
Meanwhile, the presence of Microsoft in the spyware arena signals a major evolution in the battle against unwanted advertising and surreptitious PC monitoring, and with GIANT's product as a strong starting point, the House of Gates has gotten itself off to a solid start.
Pros: Builds on a solid foundation established by GIANT; highly effective, real-time malware detection and prevention capabilities; straightforward, easy to use interface; automatic updates
Cons: Only works on Windows XP/2003/2000 platforms; we're still in beta here, folks, and Microsoft's long-term commitment to the spyware problem remains to be seen; likewise, cost of the final product is still in question
