Thursday, May 05, 2005

Spyware Roundup - Keeping Informed

Have you ever wondered why there is so much spyware out there and why companies keep trying to infect your computer with it? The answer is simple...there's lots of money involved. In fact, the spyware industry is worth billions of dollars.

I've written many articles in the past about spyware, mostly about how to get rid of it off your computer. I would be willing to bet that everyone who is reading this article is infected with some sort of spyware. When I started using Counterspy, I discovered that I was picking up spyware on a daily basis, usually in the form of cookies. Many of them keep showing up daily, depending on where I surf the net.

All this made me wonder why people or companies want to know so much about me and my computer habits. So I did a little research. But rather than rehash it all, I am going to give you a few links to the most informative articles I found. What you read may surprise you, but at least you will know why spyware is so rampant.

Research: Spyware industry worth billions
Spying on Spyware Makers
The remedy for spyware…not anytime soon
New spyware bill needs a rewrite

Because there is so much money involved, don't expect our government to come to our help anytime soon. There may be a new law enacted sometime soon, but it will probably be a toothless fraud. Politicians are anxious to tell you that they have done something about this problem, but it will be as useless a law as the anti-spam laws they have enacted in the recent past. Am I cynical, or what?

On a personal note, I will be back on the road later today for another art show (where there is no wireless connection), so there will be no blogs for a few days.

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