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Microsoft estimates it is the reason for half of all PC crashes. Dell reports that it is responsible for 12 percent of its tech-support calls. The Federal Trade Commission has logged thousands of complaints for slow computers and strange and excessive pop-up ads. If you think your computer is acting strange, you just might be right, and spyware may be to blame.
Much like email scams, spyware and its resultant problems are becoming extremely serious. Spyware is a small application that can be planted on a PC by some software programs, websites, and email messages which can track a web surfer's every online move. Criminals or dishonest businesses can use spyware to capture keystrokes and copy personal data from hard drives and transmit it to the people behind the eavesdropping.
Recently, the Internet service-provider Earthlink conducted scans of one million Internet-connected PCs, finding an average of 28 spyware applications running on each PC and more than 300,000 programs at large that can steal data and give hackers access to computers. Symptoms of spyware can include:
Change of Your Default Homepage: This tactic is used to automatically change your Web browser's default or start-up homepage.
Unauthorized 1-900 Number Charges: If your phone bill charges you for 1-900 phone calls you didn't make, you may have fallen victim to a particularly devious form of spyware. These programs will hang-up your normal Internet connection and instruct your computer to silently dial a 1-900 number.
Slow Computer: If you've noticed that your PC has had a serious drop in its responsiveness lately it could mean that spyware is draining its computing power. Spyware is especially destructive on older computers and is often to blame when they crash.
New Favorites: Spyware will often add "favorites" to your browser's favorites' folder. If you notice an unusual amount of new favorites and are not sure how they got there, spyware may be to blame.
Strange or Excessive Pop-Up Ads: In many cases, pop-ups from spyware software are designed to appear to be served by the legitimate website you're visiting. There's no way to be sure, but if the content of the ads seem strange, they may be from spyware. But, if you're getting pop-up ads when you're not surfing the Internet, or when you visit websites you know do not use pop-ups, it's very likely that they are being served up by spyware software.
Federal legislators are fighting back against spyware. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing last month on the costs and security risks posed by spyware and I have joined with Congressman Goodlatte to cosponsor legislation to crack down on this serious problem. HR 4661, the Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2004, would make it a criminal offense for intentionally using spyware to access a computer without authorization or intentionally exceed authorized access. This legislation, passed last week by the House of Representatives, would make using spyware punishable by fines and jail time.
In the meantime, however, there are steps you can take to reduce the chances of having your computer infected with spyware:
Be skeptical about installing strange or free software. Many free programs, such as screensavers, file sharing programs, weather monitors, or some toolbars, come bundled with spyware.
Pay attention to Security Warning screens and properly adjust your Web browser security or privacy settings. The major web browser programs, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, allow you to put these settings somewhere between "high" or "low." You should not leave your settings at the lowest level, but raising the setting to "high", however, can make some Web sites less usable. Try to strike a balance and choose a setting that warns you before programs are downloaded onto your computer.
Use anti-spyware software tools. Be careful, however, because some deceptive spyware distributors have started tricking consumers into installing fake anti-spyware programs, only to install more spyware. Some of the tactics include displaying a pop-up claiming to have scanned your PC and found spyware or opening your disk drive, then tricking you into buying or downloading their software.
Use anti-virus software, firewalls, and keep your software up-to-date with security patches.
For more resources, please visit the Consumer Resources section of my website at www.house.gov/forbes. You can also report suspicious activity to the FTC through its web site at www.ftc.gov or by calling toll-free at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
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