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Now that you understand what the problem is and how it happens, it's time to prevent it from happening. If you have a new computer, it is imperative that you follow all of these steps as soon as you take your computer out of the box. (The same goes if you just reformatted your hard disk.) If you connect a computer that is unprotected to the Internet, it will be infected with a worm within several minutes. I'm not exaggerating. It takes only several minutes for one of the many worms that are running rampant on the Internet (such as Sasser) to find your unprotected machine.
IS THERE IS FOOLPROOF SOLUTION?
Yes, there is, but you may not like it. Stop using Microsoft Windows. This problem only affects Windows. Using MacOS X or Linux will solve the problem. The authors of this software exploit the many holes in Windows to make their software work. Many people are afraid to switch to a different operating system, but it is much easier than you think. Plus, the long term stress reduction of not dealing with Windows' security problems will make it more than worthwhile.
I know many of you have to use Windows for whatever reason, so read on to find out what you can do to protect yourself.
HOW DO I PROTECT MY WINDOWS COMPUTER FROM SPYWARE AND VIRUSES?
This is not an easy answer. There are a lot of steps you should take. Unfortunately, using Windows in today's world requires you to be a bit of a security expert. However, if you follow the suggestions I outline here, you will be a lot safer than you probably are now. The good news? You will not have to spend any money on this! Because spyware and viruses are so closely related, my instructions will help prevent both.
ONE: ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
You must have current anti-virus software. Also, YOU MUST KEEP IT UP TO DATE! Antivirus software with outdated virus definitions is almost useless. Most programs can be set to automatically download updates. Set this feature to download updates every day or at least every few days. New viruses are coming out everyday. When you first install the software, and periodically thereafter, you should run a complete scan. You can set the software to do this automatically during the night while you sleep however frequently you think is necessary. Once a week should suffice for most people.
Despite what you may think, more is not better when it comes to anti-virus software. You only need one program. Installing multiple programs (such as having Norton AntiVirus and AVG Anti-Virus both installed) will cause problems. They will "fight" with each other.
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 I suggest Norton AntiVirus from Symantec. (www.symantec.com) However, it is a commercial product that is not free. If you want to avoid spending money, you should try AVG Anti-Virus from Grisoft. (free.grisoft.com) They have a paid version, but the one you want is the FREE version. It is just as good as any anti-virus program you could purchase.
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 You should also check with your employer. Some employers (such as parts of the US Defense Department) purchase licenses for their employees to protect their systems from viruses that come from home computers.
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TWO: WINDOWS UPDATE
Make sure you run Windows Update frequently. Microsoft products are notorious for having security holes. Microsoft releases patches for these holes very frequently. If you have never run it before, run it right now. Let it install all critical updates. If you have to reboot as part of the process, run Windows Update again once you've rebooted. Keep repeating this until there are no more critical updates to download. The reason you must do it so many times is that often one update will not be available until another update is installed. It relies on the first update or, believe it or not, might be a fix for a hole in the first update!
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Windows Update can be reached by pointing your browser at www.windowsupdate.com. You must use Internet Explorer for this. After you run it, you should go into to your System control panel and turn on Automatic Updates. This will cause Windows Update to run frequently even if you forget.
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THREE: YOUR BROWSER CHOICE
People tend to become attached to web browsers. The browser most people are attached to is Microsoft Internet Explorer. Why? Because it's there. It's part of windows, you can't delete it off the system even if you wanted to (I'm sure you remember the big Microsoft lawsuit based on this point.) and it's convenient. However, the worst disservice you can do yourself is to use Internet Explorer. Spyware exploits the many security flaws in Internet Explorer to give you constant pop-ups, allow your homepage to be hijacked and take you to sites that you do not wish to visit. It's hard to let go of Internet Explorer, but you must. There are a lot of options out there. So go ahead and download a new one and then delete that Internet Explorer link off your desktop so you never accidentally click on it again. The only exception to this is when you run Windows Update. You can only do that from Internet Explorer.
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Of the many free browsers that are currently available for download, I recommend FireFox (www.getfirefox.com) by Mozilla. (www.mozilla.org) Mozilla's browsers have similar internal components to Netscape browsers, but without the bloat. They are open-source software, which means its source code is available to everyone. This way you have hundreds of thousands of eyes looking it over and correcting any mistakes or holes. It also offers features which Internet Explorer does not, such as tabbed browsing and pop-up blocking. Yes, you heard me right, it blocks pop-ups! What about your favorites/bookmarks you ask? The first time you launch FireFox, it will give you the option of importing them from Internet Explorer. It'll be a smooth transition.
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Some people worry that open source software is vulnerable because the source code is publicly available. However, the good people out there close the holes before they get exploited. You have no reason to worry.
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