SPYWARE
The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") loosely defines
"spyware" as software that "aids in gathering information
about a person or organization without their knowledge and
which may send such information to another entity without
the consumer's consent, or asserts control over a computer
without the consumer's knowledge." Examples of spyware
include software that collects information about the use of
the computer on which the software is installed, some of
which may collect personally identifiable information
("PII"). When the computer is connected to the Internet,
the software periodically relays the information back to
the software manufacturer, a marketing company, or another
third party. Another form of spyware--commonly called
"adware" --traces a user's Web activity and causes
advertisements to suddenly appear on the user's
monitor--called "pop-up"--ads in response. Software
programs that include spyware functionality may be
pre-installed on a new computer, can be sold or provided
for free on a disk (or other media), or downloaded from the
Internet, often without the knowledge of the Internet user.
The greatest security and privacy challenges posed by
spyware relate to technologies that are specifically
intended to capture a user's personal information or take
control of the computer for the purveyor's purposes without
the knowledge or consent of the user. These include
keystroke logging programs that capture a user's passwords,
Social Security, or account numbers. This information can
then be captured and redirected for criminal purposes
including fraud, larceny, identity theft, or other
cybercrimes. Perhaps even worse is the use of spyware that
allows computer hackers to hijack a user's computer and
turn it to their own purposes rendering the computer a
"zombie" capable of being directed remotely to send spam,
viruses, help hack other computers, or allow others access
to engage in copyright piracy.
According to the FTC, a survey of broadband users released
by the National CyberSecurity Alliance found that over 90
percent of consumers had some form of spyware on their
computers, and most consumers were not aware of it. Spyware
presents privacy, security, and functionality concerns for
both Internet users and legitimate commercial activity on
the Internet. It has created opportunities for types of
illegal behavior that are often difficult to detect and
even more difficult to prosecute under existing law. In
addition, the proliferation of spyware threatens to
undermine consumer confidence in the integrity and security
of the Internet and stifle the enormous commercial and
communications potential of the information superhighway.
(excerpted from the
U.S. Congressional Reporting Service & Modified by
AntiHubris.com)