Microsoft to Battle Spyware
Nearly half the world's computers may soon have built-in protection against debilitating infections of spyware and other unwanted software, thanks to Microsoft's update of the Windows XP operating system.

Expected to be released this summer, the Windows XP Service Pack 2 update will contain no fewer than five new security features designed to ward off the unauthorized installation of software via the Internet, according to Microsoft officials. The company hopes the features will not only quell the growing number of complaints from consumers about Windows XP's susceptibility to spyware, but will also save businesses millions of dollars in tech support calls.

Almost 50 percent of the world's computers run Windows XP, according to IDC Research. The operating system's users have been hit especially hard by spyware and some versions of adware, which collect information about computer users and, in some cases, use that information to pepper the desktop with advertising. The programs often work their way onto computers by hitching rides with unrelated software packages or exploiting security holes in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

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