Covert operations

Entrepreneur, August, 2003 by Amanda C. Kooser

Ever get the feeling you're being watched? You may be right. Covert programs that are downloaded from the Internet onto unsuspecting computers have been proliferating lately.

Known as "spyware," these sneaky bits of software may be monitoring computer activity or serving up advertising (also known as adware) without you realizing it. They may be inadvertently downloaded by employees as part of another software program or hidden deep within a licensing agreement. At its worst, a spyware program may just plant itself when a suffer wanders onto the wrong Web site. Some varieties can even be triggered through HTML spam e-mails.

Fortunately, there are ways for you to keep your computers clear of spyware and your valuable business data safe. A good firewall setup can help prevent unauthorized programs from using your business network to send information back to a parent organization.

Free spyware detection products are also available from sites like Download.com. But to really protect your information, a more complete solution is anti-spyware software from companies like Lavasoft (www.lavasoft.de) and PestPatrol (www.pestpatrol.com). They can locate both spyware and adware and clean it off computers.

With these undercover programs becoming trickier all the time, you have to make an anti-spyware effort part of your overall security plan and review it periodically to deal with inevitable new twists.