HOW DOES IT WORK?

A surfer downloads some piece of free software off the Internet and installs it. Whilst some software makers warn you somewhere in the fine print of their terms and conditions, or give you the option to not install certain components, in most instances, the surfer installs spyware without even being aware that it is there. Once installed, the spyware monitors the surfer's Internet activity and transmits this information either to the software manufacturer, or to a third party that has paid the software manufacturer for this service. It is important to note that not all shared or free software comes with spyware. The biggest culprits out there are some of the peer-to-peer software programmes that allow you to download MP3s, videos and other multimedia files.

WHAT INFORMATION IS GATHERED?

It can vary depending on the software, but can include e-mail addresses, computer configuration details, passwords, e-commerce transaction details, Internet surfing history and habits, and even personal and financial information such as name, age and credit card number(s).

WHY IS IT DONE?

Spyware is an easy way for a software maker to make money from a product without actually charging users for it. Advertisers pay them for access to the information gathered, thus the user does not have to pay for it, but the software maker still gets paid for their time and effort to create the software. It's not hard to figure out why an individual's personal details, spending and surfing habits would be of interest to an advertiser.

As the surfer/victim, there is no way for you to control what information is being sent back to 'whomever'. In effect therefore, your privacy is up for grabs and it would not be unusual for all or parts of this information to be resold numerous times to various parties without your permission or knowledge. That aside, some spyware come with annoying browser side effects such as constant pop-ups, persistent ads and the creation of text ads were plain text would normally be. Additionally, spyware steals from your computer's memory, CPU and Internet bandwidth as it gathers and sends out its data.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

You can download software that removes and protects your computer from spyware. My first choice in this regard is one called Ad-Aware which can be downloaded at this link - http://www.lavasoftusa.com. That aside, you should be very wary and observant not only of the terms and conditions that apply to software that you download intentionally, but also of pop-ups and prompts that can result in the unintentional installation of unwanted products.

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