by Beau Sharbrough

An estimate is usually worth what you pay for it, but one free estimate is that only 10% of the computers connected to the Internet are free of spyware. So, nine out of ten of us have it. What is it?

Spyware is unwanted software, hidden on your computer. It might include the following:

--- Adware. These programs serve you popup ads. They might also send information to advertisers. One of the more insidious examples is Gator. They produce popup ads that don't come from the site you are visiting. For a fee, they will put up Ford ads on pages that have “Honda” on them, and other competitive ads on competitive sites.

--- Snoopware. These programs watch what you do. They might report your browsing habits to an advertiser, or they might log your keystrokes, e-mail, and chats so your parents can see what you're doing on that computer. While these programs might make sense for parents or employers, they are also used by future ex-husbands and the like.

--- These programs might also leave “cookies” on your machine. Cookies are files placed on your computer to store information for your browser to use. Not all cookies are bad. Some of them make browsing more efficient, and keep you from having to type your password each time to visit a site. Some of them are bad. One example is the Tracking (or Data Mining) cookie. I found 38 of them on my computer today.

Don't take my word for it. Dick Meyer of CBS News wrote an article on 22 April wherein he suggests that people should complain loudly about these invasions of their privacy, and urge legislation to protect them.

Why Is It Bad?
First of all, it's about privacy. People are using these tools to gather information about you, which might include sensitive personal information such as credit cards or medical information. I manage my banking, credit card accounts, employee benefits, and shopping online. We are doing a lot more on the Web than we used to, and some of those activities are things we don't want others to poke around in.

Second, it's about choice. You don't have the opportunity to voluntarily accept or refuse to participate. You have better things to do with your time and your computer than to be supporting someone else's agenda without your knowledge and consent.

Third, everything that runs on your computer, or uses Internet connections, uses resources such as the processor or the line that can't be used for other things. That slows your computer down, or worse, can even make your browser or computer crash.

How Do You Get It?
Most Internet browsing activity results in the accumulation of some spyware. You can get it from websites, popup ads, or e-mail links. The installation of programs falls into two categories. The “drive-by download” is where the program is installed without telling you anything. One of the more irritating examples is the Xupiter add-in to Internet Explorer. The “Popup Download” is where the program is installed after you click “yes” in a popup window. Usually the window has some kind of legalese and you click to get rid of the popup. The next thing you know you are running a small server on the Internet dedicated to telling marketers what you are doing. Gator is one of the more popular examples.

What Can I Do About It?
There are a variety of things that you can do. Let's start with some common sense. If you aren't using your computer and it's running like mad, find out why. And be sure to use an anti-virus program all the time. You might also want to use a firewall if you know how to set one up.

I don't like popup ads. Computers running versions of Windows older than Windows 2000, such as Win98 and WinMe, have a memory leak in Internet Explorer (a flaw in the Microsoft program) that results in the gradual reduction of available system resources. Every popup ad opens a new instance of Internet Explorer, and part of that memory isn't returned to the user until they reboot. The system slows down until the user gets tired of it and reboots. There are a couple of free popup blockers: one from panicware.com and one from Google. The Google toolbar is one of the best popup blockers--I use it all the time.

I also use a spyware removal product, called “ad-aware” from lavasoft.com. They have a free and a pay version. I use the free one. I just run it every once in a while to check and clean the system. Lavasoft's support pages include information about some ways you can reduce vulnerability to spyware. These pages are kind of technical, but give them a try and if you don't feel like you get them, ask your computer guru to help you.

Try Jason Levine's Browser Security tests (www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/). This site has good suggestions for ways to stop certain kinds of browser vulnerabilities. Yes, I said browser vulnerabilities. This is a technical article.

Another good source of ideas is the article by Lee Seats for About.com.

Oh, and if you think it's bad now, just imagine how it will be when your cell phone, PDA, computer, and car are all wireless Internet nodes. I can't bear the thought that my phone will ring with a recorded message, a text message ad, or a telemarketer. There oughta be a law. Wait! There is a law! Utah passed one in March. This law requires that vendors let customers know how their programs work, get their consent, and make uninstallation possible. That's not a bad starter set. Mark one down for the people.

More Information
If you want to discuss your spyware issues, please drop by the RootsWorks Forums at www.rootsworks.com/forums. Registration is free, and I'd be interested to know what kinds of issues you are facing.

Beau Sharbrough is a product manager at Ancestry.com. His articles contain his own views and opinions and do not reflect any corporate policy or statement by the company. He lives in Provo, UT, where spring is bringing a new flower, bud, or blossom every day. The RootsWorks series of articles focuses on genealogical applications for generic technologies. Beau would like to hear from you. Stop by www.rootsworks.com/forums and discuss this or any topic related to the use of technology in family history. Tell us about your experiences. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual computer and genealogy problems. Visit the RootsWorks website (www.rootsworks.com) for links to previous articles and Beau's lecture schedule (next stop: Utah Valley PAF Users Group in June).

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