In a hushed voice, a blushing co-worker asked for help with his computer. The embarrassed editor explained that immediately after launching his web browser, he turned off his monitor in panic. That's because a huge pornographic image commandeered the entire screen with no obvious way to get rid of it.
My co-worker was a victim of a browser hijack, something that is occurring with alarming regularity in the home and workplace. Such hijacks are one of the symptoms of insidious software known as spyware.
Spyware applications originally were intended to help legitimate online companies track the shopping and browsing habits of Americans. But they have become a weapon for unsavory hucksters hoping to persuade Americans to buy products they do not want.
Although spam may be no more than a nuisance, spyware can steal a computer user's credit card number or render a computer unusable.
"This will not kill you. It will annoy you. It will slow you down and steal your bandwidth," says David Stang, a vice president of research at Islandia, N.Y.-based Computer Associates. "This is death by a thousand mosquito bites."
Preventing spyware is not easy. It's even more difficult to remove from an infected computer. But understanding the problem can help you protect your data and computer.
What can spyware do? With about 25,000 pests and 120,000 related files floating around cyberspace, according to Stang, it's tough to get a handle on what each spyware program does. Many benignly monitor your online shopping habits and display annoying pop-up ads. A more aggravating spyware program may change your Yahoo or Google home page to another site no matter how many times you try to fix it. It might also create new bookmarks on your "Favorites" menu.
More dangerous spyware applications -- often called malware -- infect your computer like a virus, causing favorite programs to crash. In worst-case scenarios, everything you type on a keyboard is recorded, including credit card numbers and passwords, and then e-mailed to identity theft rings.
Infection is quick and invisible. The simple act of clicking on spam and certain pop-up ads can install malicious software or change vital settings on your computer. Free music, games and programs may be laden with computer nasties.
Spyware is generally legal (in every state except Utah) as long as its original intent is to monitor browsing and shopping habits.
