When Information Technology Support Specialist Ian Kelley hears students complain about slow computer performance, he often suspects that it is a consequence of spyware.
Spyware is defined as any manner of software that actively collects information about the Web sites people visit. It is a form of malware -- the broader set of all software programs designed to cause damage to a single computer or network.
Spyware delivers the information it collects to advertising or data research companies, who then use it to tailor their ads to a person's interests on the basis of what sites he or she frequents or to amass statistical information about Internet users in general.
According to netINS, an Iowa-based Internet service provider, signs of spyware include unexpected toolbars, pop-up ads that appear long after a browser has been closed and unexpected changes to a user's home page or search engine.
"Whether this is viewed as an invasion of privacy or not, the programs can alter your system's files and cause you some headaches while browsing," the netINS' Web site said.
One such headache for Penn students is a prevalent type of spyware called Common Name. "It hijacks your Web browser connection, and you can't access Penn InTouch," Kelley said.
The problem with avoiding and combating spyware programs is that unlike viruses, they are usually legal.
Anti-virus software does not target spyware as it does target forms of malicious code.
Some spyware programs employ so-called "drive-by downloads," by which merely visiting a Web site allows spyware to latch onto a computer system.
While there are several ways spyware can work its way into a computer, the most common one is by piggybacking through a free program that can be downloaded online.
According to SpywareInfo, the publisher of an online publication that seeks to educate its readers about the effects of certain malicious codes, "the biggest culprits in spreading spyware are the popular peer-to-peer programs available today. Bearshare, Kazaa, iMesh, Limewire -- all of these products install multiple advertising spyware applications."
Often hidden in the free program's user licensing agreement is consent to launch one or more spyware programs. "It's all perfectly legal," Kelley said. "In effect, they have your permission."
Still, there are ways to eliminate these programs. Kelley recommends that PennNet users install free spyware tracking software programs such as Ad-aware and Spybot-Search and Destroy.
These programs root out hidden spyware, and they should be run on a regular basis to keep computer systems clean.
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