The National Cyber Security Alliance, the Anti-Spyware Coalition, and StopBadware.org are joining forces to combat spyware and all forms of malware.

The three cybersecurity groups met to discuss plans for uniting forces to defeat spyware in the same way several groups formed to battle adware several years ago. The Anti-Spyware Coalition in particular was very successful and instrumental in putting several major adware players out of business including Gator and Zango. This new alliance hopes to have similar success against spyware.

But unlike “legal” adware companies, most spyware and malware is underground and illegal by nature. It’s much easier to attack a known company like Gator than it is to find some spyware hackers in a basement in Russia. And very often, the hackers are always one step ahead in technology while cybersecurity companies are always a step behind (because their knowledge is defined only after spyware is released. Their spyware detector is triggered.).

The effort is noble, and we certainly wish them much success, but without a clear plan of action, and some serious legal force behind them, this alliance has it’s work cut out for them. The coalition says they will release a “paper tracking the results of the mapping project and proposed initial recommendations to strengthen the chain.”

In the meantime, be sure to have some rock-solid antispyware software in place. You can’t wait for this alliance to stop the bad guys. You need to take measures into your own hands. Get antispyware. Make sure the updates are set to “automatic.” Do a full system scan on a regular basis. Aside from completely disconnecting from the internet, antispyware is your only real protection.