It takes a formidable software arsenal to effectively fight malware. Anti-virus programs, spyware blockers, IDSes (intrusion detection systems) and numerous other products are now routinely used to find and block various types of intrusive code, which in almost all cases arrives via the Internet.

With such a varied number of malware-fighting tools now available, finding the right products — and knowing how to use them — requires a substantial amount of time and research. Learning the answers to just a few simple questions, however, will help you get your anti-malware initiative into motion and on target.

What types of anti-malware tools do I need? Viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spam and spyware are the major malware categories, and you’ll need to find products that can detect and block all of these threats. Some products manage to combine several threat-fighting tools into a single package, which helps organizations sidestep management and software-conflict headaches.

How do I know if a product is compatible with other types of anti-malware programs? Since you’ll probably be juggling multiple anti-malware tools, you’ll want products that play well with others. Ask each vendor for a list of known program conflicts, but be prepared to encounter undocumented incompatibilities.

Do Windows’ built-in anti-malware…

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