Beware of Spyware: Is Your Computer Being Monitored?
by Office of Technology Policy & Projects Staff
Updated May 23, 2005 -- Have you noticed your computer starting up more slowly each day? Are website pages taking longer to load than in the past? Does your hard drive seem to run constantly, even when you are not using your computer? If so, you might be among the millions of Internet users with "spyware" programs inadvertently running on your computer.
As professionals who use the Internet to research and gather information, psychologists should be aware of spyware, a stealth program that can invade computers unnoticed and collect personal information about the user. Read on to learn about this serious and growing threat to computer security, including what spyware is, where it comes from, how to remove it, and how to guard against it.
What is spyware?
Spyware is a small, self-contained computer program that “spies” on users by capturing information about their computer usage and transmitting it back to a particular company without the user’s knowledge. Spyware can monitor Internet usage and search habits and record keystrokes, passwords, credit card numbers, chat logs, and other confidential and private information.
Spyware often goes unnoticed. While some users sense subtle changes in their computer due to spyware, others are not able to detect its presence. Spyware usually runs in the background -- for example, it starts up automatically and does not appear on your computer desktop, and is stored in a location on the computer where users are unlikely to notice it.
One type of spyware, called “adware,” sends information about users’ web surfing habits to advertisers, who in turn send targeted ads to the users. For example, a company may send car advertisements to a user who recently searched for information about a new car or clicked on auto advertisements somewhere on the Internet.
An even more serious threat relates to spyware programs that collect email addresses from your email or your hard drive and forward them to spammers. If you have client email addresses on your computer, this could result in a significant breach of privacy and security.
Where does spyware come from?
Spyware programs are often “hidden” or “bundled” in free software, sometimes called “shareware.” Many free screensaver and customizable cursor programs will only function if the spyware features are fully enabled.
Spyware often gets installed when users download and install such free software from the Internet. This apparent invasion of privacy may appear to happen without the express permission of the user, though that generally is not the case. Because they are such a ubiquitous software feature, many users automatically accept a free software program's “terms and conditions” when they install it. Often times, by accepting these terms and conditions, a user does give permission for this type of monitoring software to be installed.
On a related note, spyware-like information collection activities can also be accomplished through the use of “cookies.” If you search the Internet with low security settings, many websites will upload a cookie onto your computer that sends a message to a particular company about every subsequent website that you visit. For example, once installed, cookies from a particular Internet marketing company regularly send back information about your web browsing patterns until the cookies expire.
How can I remove spyware?
If you are concerned that spyware might be installed on your computer, there are number of solutions available to you. Because spyware can be deeply imbedded in the software that runs your computer, only skilled users should attempt to find and remove it themselves. For most other users, the most common solutions are software programs that regularly scan your computer and remove spyware programs and cookies.
The most popular of these programs are free and can easily be downloaded from the Internet (ironic, but true). Among the most popular are: Lavasoft AdAware and Spyware Doctor.
Free versions of each of these programs are easy to use and will quickly neutralize most significant spyware problems. Paying for the upgraded version of each program provides you with additional features such as automatic updates when new spyware programs are identified.
Users of Microsoft's Windows Operating Systems may download a free version of "Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)" by visiting Microsoft's website.
Finally, a number of commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as America Online have recently started to offer anti-spyware software free to members. For details, contact your ISP.
How can I guard against spyware?
Here are a few steps that you can take to prevent spyware from becoming a problem on your computer:
- Do not download free software or shareware unless you are confident that it does not contain spyware.
- Read the “terms and conditions” carefully before agreeing to download any software. If the terms and conditions refer to “sharing data” or “usage information and statistics,” spyware likely is included.
- Surf the Internet with your security settings on “High.” (e.g., in Windows 2000, adjust this setting from the “Internet Options: Security” tab located on the “Tools” menu).
- Change your security settings so that you must approve any cookies before they are installed on your computer.
- Regularly run anti-spyware software, at least once every two weeks.
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