by Teri Robnett
(published in Brainstorm! May 2004)

What is spyware? I get this question a lot now that the topic has been in the news. Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties.

Spyware gets installed on your computer without your knowledge, usually along with a program that you are purposely installing. For instance, KaZaa is a program that helps you to share music. With it, there are other programs that piggyback on its installation to watch your activities on the internet. Sometimes spyware can be installed from an email that you get that has code hidden in the background.

Adware, on the other hand, is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. It generally appears as pop-up ads that try to sell you products based on what you may have searched in the past while sending information back.

These programs can run in the background while you surf on the internet, causing your computer to slow down. Although most are relatively harmless, there are some that watch your keystrokes, scan for private information like credit card numbers or passwords and send that information back to the source.

Here are some steps that can help keep your computer from getting bogged down:

1. Delete your temporary internet files.
2. Delete your cookies, then...
3. Download*, install and run Spybot. (Run it at least once a month.)
4. Download*, install and run Ad-Aware 6.0. (Run it at least once a month.)
5. Install virus protection. Pay for the annual subscription when it comes due and update at least weekly.
6. For people who are on the internet continuously, install a hardware firewall.
7. Run security patches from windowsupdate.com at least once a quarter. Although there are many updates on that web site, the security patches are the only ones I recommend. Unless you are having a specific problem that warrants updating the other programs, additional updates can since it can cause other problems.
8. Set the security of Internet Explorer to medium.
9. Be careful of the email that you open, particularly the attachments. Even the preview pane can cause a virus to open and be deployed.

Noted privacy software expert Steve Gibson of Gibson Research explains: "Spyware is any software (that) employs a user's Internet connection in the background (the so-called 'backchannel') without their knowledge or explicit permission. Silent background use of an Internet 'backchannel' connection must be preceded by a complete and truthful disclosure of proposed backchannel usage, followed by the receipt of explicit, informed consent for such use. Any software communicating across the Internet absent of these elements is guilty of information theft and is properly and rightfully termed: Spyware."

A number of software applications, including Ad-Aware and OptOut (by Gibson's company), are available as freeware to help computer users search for and remove suspected spyware programs.

For more information on spyware, check out these links:
What is spyware? http://www.spychecker.com/spyware.html
Gibson Research http://grc.com/default.htm
Spyware-Guide http://www.spywareguide.com/
Ad-Aware Web Site http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

* Go to www.download.com to find the program to download and install. There are several free versions that check for both spyware and adware. You'll also find software to block pop-ups.

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