Anti-spyware
Spyware is basically the non-destructive version of its evil twin, the virus. While most spyware boils down to tracking your topics of interest, some can get downright obnoxious, installing toolbars into your browser, changing your home page or showing dozens of pop-up advertisements. Worst of all, some of your private data, such as your credit card numbers can disappear somewhere they definitly shouldn’t be. While not as hazardous as viruses, they need their own set of tools to pull off your browser.

The selection of anti-spyware programs is not as varied as anti-viruses, but a couple of programs are considered as the best in their class:

• Spybot Search & Destroy and AdAware SE - able to detect and remove traces of spyware, having one of these programs from the get-go is your safest bet on staying spyware-free
• SpywareBlaster - some spyware uses so-called ActiveX distibution to do its evil bidding. This program was made specifically to stop ActiveX-launched spyware in its tracks by not allowing it to start in the first place. Best combined with one of the above two programs.
• HijackThis! - the most advanced tool for diagnosing your spyware status. If you want to figure out what spyware’s stuck on your machien, this is the program to use. Gives out a textual printout which is easy to show to more experienced users so they could help out. Does not interfere with other anti-spyware programs.

Firewalls
While AV and AS programs help protect you from what your own downloaded data could do to your machine, firewalls do the same from the opposite direction - they protect you from what a cracker might do. No, the correct term isn’t “hacker”. A cracker is whoever decides to abuse your computer from outside and uses it to:

• hide his own footprints by making it appear it was your computer that did
  whatever he intended to do
• “test” your protection level by attempting to bring it down
• try to steal your passwords directly

…and so forth.

To disable anyone so malicious from doing it, the firewall controls whatever data comes to and from your internet connection. It does so by first closing down all the “ports” (which are connections through which programs contact the internet) and then asks you whether to open ports for programs you start. The first time you do this it’ll be tedious as hell, but it’s a small price to pay for an extra layer of security. Firewalls should be left to stick around in your memory and continue monitoring the traffic - of course, they won’t collect any data, otherwise they’d be busted by one of the AS programs.

The selection of firewalls is varied, and there are even hardware firewalls - but to a home user, they’re an overly expensive toy. Freeware firewalls do their job well enough to keep a “small target” such as a home user safe from intrusion. Just searching for “free firewall” on a search engine will give you a quick selection.

Are we safe yet?
So, now that you have your three layers of protection, the whole setup begs the question - is that all that needs to be done? The answer, unfortunately, is no. The most important layer of protection is you - the computer user. The rule of the thumb is not to download something if the location you’re getting is from looks fishy. Developer’s sites are legit, so are massive free software collection sites. Any sort of illegitimate site means trouble at least half the time. Downloading anything from pop-up ads is a definite no-go.

The worst you can do is keep your operating system, browser, AV, anti-spyware and firewall unattended by not updating them - make sure you update whenever possible.

Keep a close tab on your defense programs, and think before you click. Using your protection layers will keep you safe from automated hazards - but only your own common sense will keep you safe from hazards that wait on your own action.