Overheard at the Lamar Law Center

Helping prosecutors expose spyware

Ari Schwartz Deputy Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology

National Association of Attorneys General 2007 conference



Ari Schwartz addressed the dangers of computer spyware during his presentation to dozens of assistant attorneys general during an annual conference at the School of Law.

Ari Schwartz, who presented information to assistant attorneys general from across the country during an August conference, said there are a number of reasons that law enforcement and prosecutors should understand computer spyware.

Defined as a program code that relays information about the user without that person’s permission or knowledge, spyware can be used to exploit Internet users and to steal personal information. In 2007, an estimated 61 percent of computer users had some sort of spyware on their computers and the majority of those users had no idea the spyware was there.

The growing number of companies and people spreading spyware “shows a transition from hackers as amateurs to people simply trying to make money however they can,” Schwartz said.

There are numerous dangers associated with spyware, including stealing personal information, flooding of browsers with pop-up ads, hijacking of the browser and causing computer crashes.

To combat these problems, the Anti-Spyware Coalition was formed to help companies come up with rules about how to flag spyware. In addition, the coalition works with spyware companies that are interested in adjusting their programs in order not to be considered spyware.

Schwartz, who works with the coalition, told conference participants that steps are being taken to identify and combat spyware problems more effectively, and he urged them to stay up to date on the issue.