If you are a typical web user then you probably have no time to keep up with all the different ways that spyware, malware and other nastyware sneaks past your browser and onto your hard drive. If you are on broadband, depending on how your PC is used, you may well have accumulated in a month nasties that a modem user may take a year to catch. Bad News!

Unfortunately straight anti-virus programs, such as the ones that litter the top 10 software lists, are just pathetic at digging out spyware and malware. Instead, you will need to run a scan tool. Then a remove tool. The results might be eye-opening. Try HiJack This (this tool just shows everything, further analysis of the log by experts is required - read the quick start guide!) or Trojan Hunter or Spybot S&D (both of these tools identify known malware, thus are easier to use, but may not catch everything at all times). Plain google is also useful if you spot the name of something (running, loaded, or primed to run), and wish to identify exactly what it is yourself.

These spyware scanners are clearly bleeding edge software: frequently updated and fighting a running battle against the most malicious code injected via microsoft explorers "helpful" programmer interfaces.

Mr Norton doesn't care enough about this area yet, so there is no "one size fits all" product, nor is it always obvious how to disinfect: if you need advice on the best removal tool for some particularly resistant spyware then post in our security forum.

For those reading that never get spyware, malware, or trojans .. post your own "safe browsing" policies, lets see if they are really adequate.