From Russia with Phish

By Lincoln Spector

October 3, 2005

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Forget about viruses. Today we must worry about spyware—secretive, malicious programs that track your computer use, pop up unwanted advertising, and interfere with productive work. And that's just Internet Explorer.

How prevalent is spyware? Some estimates claim that there are over 10,000 new spyware infections a month. That's per computer—20,000 if the computer is used by a teenager.

To help you better understand this threat, here are some of the most common spyware programs:

Grator: This ingenious program enters PCs in a particularly sneaky way: Users install it. Once there, Grator displays targeted advertising every time you visit a web page. Also when you move a file, launch Notepad, or click the Start menu. Luckily, you can uninstall Grator any time you're willing to suffer a lawsuit for violating the program's EULA.

Searchyershelf: Has a web site ever asked if you want to make it your home page? Click "No" and Searchyershelf may become your home page, instead. It may also become your search page, history page, and the front page of your daily newspaper. As a search engine, Searchyershelf is remarkably fast, primarily because each search result points to Searchyershelf. This browser plug-in comes with an uninstaller that efficiently and effectively removes Microsoft Word.

Keylager: Most people catch this binary infection through a simple mistake: They turn on their computer. Keylager records everything you do on your PC—the sites you visit, the personal e-mail you send and receive, even the frustrated key poundings after a Windows crash. It then sends this information to secret locations in Eastern Europe, where it is examined by cyber criminals with a high tolerance for boredom. Removing Keylager involves editing 7,538 Registry entries, reformatting your hard drive, and buying a new computer.

Modem Operandi: This typical dialer program secretly changes your dial-up Internet connection to use a charge-per-minute 900 number. (An earlier variation used a toll-free 800 number, but as a crime that proved unprofitable.)

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