The Threat of Spyware

While you're surfing the Web, tiny computer programs are hard at work behind the scenes--gathering information about what you do, who you are, and who your friends are. These programs compile this and other information, and transmit it to a covert host. On the other end, someone takes that information and uses it for the purpose of sending you spam email or delivering pop-up advertisements, or worse, uses it for the purpose of identity theft.

It's called spyware, and it's the greatest threat to ever hit the Internet. In its most seemingly innocuous form, it's called adware, and is delivered to your computer--usually without your knowledge--as part of some other program or utility. But while suffering through a few ads may seem like a small price to pay for that cool new game you downloaded, think again. The licensing terms of the adware you clicked on very likely allows the adware company to sell information to third parties. It also allows them to insert that piece of software onto your PC, which ultimately eats bandwidth as it constantly transmits information back to the host. Before you know it, you're killing pop-ups every ten seconds, you are drowning in spam, and your system crashes on a daily basis.

Because spyware is an independent, executable program, it can be designed to do just about anything. Besides tracking your web surfing habits, it can also be programmed to examine your hard drive, copy files and transmit them to a third party, change system and registry settings, or even steal passwords or credit card numbers.

Getting rid of spyware isn't easy, since it comes into your PC through any one of a variety of techniques. Installing one of the new "anti-spyware" software packages is a start, but these single-point solutions won't provide you with a comprehensive fix. Here are a few tips on how to keep spyware at bay: