Monday, 25. November 2002

The spy inside your home computer

Your home computer is a pretty dumb device that usually does what it is told. But with the right help this mute machine can become disturbingly "talkative".

So-called "parasite programs" are logging what you do online and, like a nest of busy gossips, sharing the information with anyone who will pay to listen.

Not all spies are so obvious

As concern mounts over these sneaky tactics, privacy experts, cyber watchdogs and many concerned net users have started to compile lists of these programs.

Most parasite programs divide into two categories:

&149; "adware" - programs on your computer that fling pop-up ads at you, install toolbars full of adverts or hijack searches and web use; and

&149; "spyware" - more underhand, these devices surreptitiously watch what you do, steal personal information and despatch it across the web. What they have in common, is that they quietly download onto your computer while you are online.

Sometimes they come attached to software you download from the web - the details are often included in the license agreement small print that most users click through without reading.

And sometimes they don't even need your permission to download, but just hop on your hard drive, totally unannounced, because you are browsing the wrong webpage.

[BBC News Online]
15:48 | #

disLEXia, a research project by Maximillian Dornseif