Spyware is software that threatens the security and
privacy of computer users. Spyware is usually installed on a
computer without a person’s knowledge. It ranges from unwanted
pop-up ads to programs that can record keystrokes or even take over
your computer. Spyware can slow computer performance, change a
computer’s configuration, and reveal personal data such as account
information or passwords. Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for
SharePoint (FPSP) can help you to combat spyware coming through
your SharePoint servers.
Although most of the antispyware configuration settings are bundled
together with the antivirus settings under the antimalware
settings, the following spyware-specific settings are available in
order to help you best configure FPSP to scan for spyware:
- Engine updates for the Microsoft Antimalware
engine should be enabled if you have enabled antispyware scanning.
The Microsoft Antimalware engine is the only scan engine that
checks for spyware, so you want its engine and definition updates
to be up to date. For more information, see Configuring engine and
definition updates.
- You must enable antispyware scanning for the
realtime scan. (Spyware scanning is not available for the scheduled
or on-demand scans.) For more information, see Configuring the realtime
scan.
- You must set the action that you want FPSP to
perform when spyware is detected by the realtime scan. You can also
set an action for antivirus scanning. In cases where a file is
detected as containing both a virus and spyware, the antivirus
action setting takes precedence. For more information about the
action setting, see Configuring the realtime
scan.