PUBLIC MARKS from micah with tags software & windows

Think the Windows operating system is expensive? Wait till you heap on the additional costs for the third party software required to secure it, including virus scanners, spyware checkers and firewall managers. If you still have something left in your budget, you may want to shell out for registry cleaners... or not, if you can get them for free.

Windows is sorely lacking in PC security. That situation may not change until Windows Vista (formerly Longhorn) comes out sometime next year. Meanwhile here are a few ways to turn Windows' poor security to your advantage.