A "drive-by-download" is software, usually some type of adware or spyware, that gets downloaded and installed on your machine without your knowledge or intervention. This can occur just by previewing an e-mail message or visiting a website in a browser. Some malicious popup ads can also cause this to occur.

Drive-by-downloads usually work by taking advantage of a known security hole in your web browser, e-mail software, operating system, or other type of software. By installing and using a firewall (and keeping it up-to-date), installing software updates as you find out about them, and updating your operating system whenever patches are released, you can lessen the chance of getting infected with such malware. Some other tips:

1. If you use Outlook 2003, read all e-mail in plain-text instead of in HTML.

2. Consider using Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer for most of your web surfing as it is less susceptible to this type of attack.

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