From the "Spy in the House of Love" department:

This ie easily the most lucid and helpful explanation of how to avoid and remove spyware and other malware on a Windows box. Read it and heed it. BTW I don't trust Mary Bono's SPY ACT bill. Remember, this is Mary fucking Bono, thoroughly 0wnz0r3d by the RIAA/MPAA/BSA and responsible for the Sonny Bono Copyright Act, who wrote this bill. I wouldn't be surprised if this bill mutates into something not unlike the (You) CAN-SPAM Act.

Of course the easiest way to avoid spyware/malware is to just run an alternative operating system, for Goddess' sake.