a few extra details, blockers, firewalls, settings
While it is a beginning, it seems a tad light.
Lets start with #3 ... Firewall, the recommendation should be for a software firewall that watches both inbound **AND** outbound traffic, the components that are accessing the internet, and to learn how to identify if they are good or bad uses.
Case in point I use Zonealarm Pro ... I have their "adviser" turned off, so that they don't have a popup that has the "save this" option checked ... I've been doing things when that popup box would ask me about some internet app, and hitting the space bar would take the default action, regardless if the action is allow or deny, only the user can identify if they *really* want the action to be defaulted to allowed or denied
also to understand why outbound protection is more important for most than the inbound. Outbound is where those "accidental" clicks will show up. They go to get their content, in the case of a mail worm, they go outbount to send SMTP mail.. a firewall watching for unexpected traffic would popup a notice to tell you it sees these things.
#4 - don't just "scan" with these programs ... in Spybot there are "Advanced Mode" options that can lay the ground work to block many things before they even become an issue.
These options include loading the Restricted Sites Zone in Internet Explorer (Spybot's Immunize feature). Restricted Sites are not given the same permissions as all other webs. So if that hacker related site is in the restricted zone, the link for downloading an app without your knowledge should not work to a restricted zone.
Spybot can also monitor IE settings, lock them in some cases, and can fill your HOSTS file with known bad sites, so that should something get on your machine, and it wish to go get something.... if that site is listed in the hosts file with a 127 entry, the request doens't leave your machine.
In both MS Antispy and Spybot, there are options to check on and help remove toolbars and BHO's (Browser "Helper" Objects) if not removing at least they can help identify there are some there!!
And ... I would have combined number 10 into number 9, and thus added as number 10 ... User Education !!!
Not any one application can stop a user from clicking a link, not anything out today, can block **ANY** of the newest attacks. It takes hours or even DAYS to catch a new exploit and make a defense against it. Thus, the only thing between the hacker and your machine... is the person ON the machine. Working to understand the computer, the software, and how things should be and how to not accidentally get things on your machine, will be one of the biggest steps the user can take to keep themselves clean.
