I use the spam filter that comes with Norton Anti-Virus. I've been very pleased with it. It works well with Outlook Express, and puts it into a spam folder, where I can browse through to see if any good mail slipped through. Then, I just tell it that a particular message isn't spam and it remembers the e-mail address.

As far as spyware is concerned, I've used the spyware protection from Norton Anti-Virus, McAfee, and Spysweep. They all leave a lot to be desired. Panda Active Scan was recommended by a tech support from Microsoft to use as an adjunct. It found a trojan horse, malware, and spyware missed by all of the above. The free version is available on line, but it doesn't remove the virus, malware, or spyware. It tells you the name of the file and leaves it up to you.

However, for $11.95 a year I subscribe to the online service and it also removes any spyware, malware, or viruses it finds. I now use that as an adjunct to my Norton Anti-Virus and am super pleased with it. Peace of mind for $12 a year isn't bad.