The term "spyware" is being applied to several forms of nasty, invasive software on the Internet. Other terms for the stuff include adware, lurkware, malware, key loggers and hijackers. Whatever name you apply to it, spyware’s a bit of the Internet’s underbelly. If you want to get picky (and you know some people do), each name also implies a different type of spyware.

Adware “watches” the Web sites you visit, then serves up those obnoxious pop-up and pop-under ads (“pop-under” referring to ads that open in a new browser window behind your current browser). It performs under the guise of “marketing” software that works to understand the patterns of your shopping behavior.

Hijackers do things like change your default homepage (the first Web page you see when you start your browser), add toolbars to your browser and change your search features. They might also add items to your Favorites or bookmarks in the hopes that you’ll actually look at their junk. In extreme cases, hijackers move your dial-up Internet connection to other providers without your knowledge, often racking up hundreds of dollars in charges through these connections. The real surprise is when you find out that you won’t be able to get that money back.

Key loggers are perhaps the most nefarious version of spyware. These actually record the keys you’re typing on your computer. Think for just a second about all the things you type on your computer. Loggers can be used to gather basic information about you (like names, addresses, etc.) or more private information like your credit card numbers or social security number.

How It Gets There

Spyware gets injected on your computer several ways, with and without your consent. Some is delivered by hardware and software that you purchase. You know those software agreements you click past during installation? Have you ever read one all the way through? By agreeing to some, you’re allowing the company to spy on you. This is not the most common way for spyware to get loaded, so don’t stay up nights reading those licenses.

Other spies wrap their nasty packages in great sounding software to “fill in forms without typing” or to share music with other people. As before, you may have actually allowed the spied to watch by agreeing to their software agreements.

Even though consent may be unintentional, agreeing to a software agreement may include consent to spying. Not all spyware relies on your consent, however. The most disturbing trend is “drive-by” spyware that is automatically installed and run on your computer, all without your consent. You don’t even get a notice, in most cases. Drive-by spyware loads from pop-up or, more commonly, pop-under ads quickly and quietly.

What’s At Stake?

Adware, lurkware, spyware all erode your privacy, chip away at your computer’s performance and snub their collective noses at the law and business ethics.

Privacy is one of the most hotly discussed topics on and about the Internet. Privacy protection and the free-wheeling nature of the Internet are often diametrically opposed. Since most spyware gets you to agree to some form of privacy policy, providers would claim that users have allowed them to gather information about them. However, since most users would probably claim to not fully understand what’s being watched and when, they are giving up a bit of their privacy.

Even the newest computer can get bogged down if any new software is loaded on it. Spyware will affect your computer in many different ways. The most common performance hit is to your Internet connection. You’ll notice that it suddenly seems like Web pages take longer to load or more pop-up ads appear. Dial-up Internet users will see even more effect than broadband users. Other telltale signs of spyware include slow loading of programs or longer start up time. So when one of you kids says, “The computer is like running sooooo slow,” you might start hunting for spyware.

While spam laws have already hit the books in many states (including Iowa’s well-written one and California’s poor excuse for one), very little has been down to provide a legal fight for spyware. In fact, most forms of spyware are perfectly legal since the user has agreed to some form of software agreement. Because it’s all coming from the Internet, “we’re very forgiving of the transgressions of digital cowboys,” according to Ethics Newsline editor Carl Hausman. “When we think about it in legalistic terms, the question is usually not what’s right, but what can we get away with.”

Spies Like Us

The “most notorious” spyware is Gator, according to ZDNet’s David Coursey. In fact, if you’ve had Gator on your computer, you’d probably agree. Gator says they’ll gather marketing information about you and “occasionally display various forms of pop-up ads.” Experience tells me that actually means duck and cover ‘cause the ads will be a-flyin’. Yippee, more advertising.

Xupiter has been my family’s nemesis. First off, Xupiter is drive-by spyware so we don’t even know when we’ve been hit. Once installed, it changes our homepage and adds a bunch of worthless links to our Favorites list.

Another nasty one is MemoryMeter. Its drive-by installation places a memory meter icon on your Windows task bar, then sets out to drag down your computer. Like other spyware, it looks like it’s going to be useful and monitor the health of your computer. Once on, though, it makes itself at home.

And the list goes on. See the accompanying Top 10 Spyware Offenders that should keep you on the lookout.

Spy Catchers

Spyware is nasty in that, for the most part, you have to look for it to see if you’ve been hit by it. It doesn’t just jump out and tell it it’s there, like a virus might. But, just like every good espionage novel has its share of spy catchers, the world has a growing number of spyware busters. Most of the tools are meant to be run occasionally to clean up after spyware. However, spy catchers are getting better at stopping spies at the gate, before they infect you computer.

My personal favorite for clean up is Ad-Aware from Swedish company Lavasoft (with a German address at www.lavasoft.de). Ad-Aware is easy to use and I’ve found it quite thorough. It looks for installed spyware, as well as telltale browser “cookies” used for tracking your Internet travels, then cleans them off your computer. You can update the scanning software like you’d update your antivirus software. Ad-Aware is free for home users.

There are other tools out there, but I’ve grown to trust Ad-Aware. In fact, some other tools actually turned out to be spyware themselves.

Symantec is throwing its hat in the ring, just as ZoneLabs has, to offer spyware detection and cleaning. Symantec (www.symantec.com) now includes spy catchers in its Norton Antivirus 2004. ZoneLabs (www.zonelabs.com) builds spyware tools into its ZoneAlarm Pro.

Top 10 Spyware Offenders

1. Lop.com or LOP
2. Gator
3. Bargain Buddy
4. E-Group (Dialer)
5. RapidBlaster
6. Xupiter
7. GlobalNetcom (Dialer)
8. MemoryMeter
9. PurityScan
10. UKVideo2 (Dialer)

Ranked by number of updates to Ad-Aware software between January 2003 and October 2003. Source: Lavasoft Web site (www.lavasoft.de)