It's been with us since 1993, it's gotten more intrusive, more complicated.

It's created a whole ecosystem, so to speak.

A person sits somewhere, writing a new virus, a new application of Spyware. It is put onto the Internet and Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware vendors begin to develop definitions to combat it, maybe even to stop it permanently. These fixes are incorporated into the new versions of the software they sell, or distribute as freeware.

Existing companies, businesses, and users struggle to keep up with what to use, overwhelmed, their lifeline to the Internet depends on it. In this portion of the ecosystem you have;

The end user. YOU!

Your Internet Provider, Hosting Service, ect.

The businesses on the Internet, all of em.

The existing companies and vendors providing the Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Programs.

Adding to this ecosystem, new companies start up to get into the rapidly exploding business, marketing their own software.

More additions occur as new businesses start up to sell the software the companies have produced.

New and old online users buy upgraded and new software to try and protect their personal information from being stolen. Interlaced into all the above is the knowledge required to know how to protect ourselves with the basics. A hardware or software Firewall, Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware.

Whew! Ok, rest.

Point to ponder while resting?.recent eWeek.com tests reveal that some Vendors are failing to provide solutions when it comes to finding and permanently destroying Viruses and Spyware.

Rested? Then let's look at it from another angle shall we?

Without the person somewhere in the world writing the virus or Spyware, there would be no need for the person that is writing the program to combat it. There would be no need for the company that employs the person writing the programs to combat the virus or Spyware. No need for the Businesses that sell the programs the company markets.

Still with me? Good. And finally, No need for the user, you, to protect yourself. I hope this lil exercise has proved informative.

Take Care.

About the Author:
Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com where he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware. He is a member of the IWA (International Webmasters Association). Doug can be reached at spywarebiz@comcast.net

Article edited for proper content by Wendy McCallum

Permission to copy ok as long as about author info remains with article.

Copyright 2005 SpywareBiz