According to the Federal Trade Commission's Web site at www.ftc.gov, Spyware is software that monitors or controls the use of your computer. It could send pop-up ads, redirect browsers to certain Web sites, or even record your keystrokes. A pop-up ad could even try to trick someone into typing in bank account information, leading to identity theft.



Users may also be able to get the software through their respective Automated Data Processing offices.

?ADP can burn the software to a CD for the user to take home,? said Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW) Eric Rucker, an information security officer for Navy Computer Defense Operations Command (NCDOC). ?Once the software is downloaded at home, it will automatically update periodically. With the amount of people that use e-mail and zip drives to bring work home and back, the risk of bringing spyware to work is much greater, and that could create weakness that may exploit DoD computers.?

Steve Saunders, a Network Security Analysts for the NCDOC, said that spyware infection throughout 2005 has become one of the pre-eminent security threats to computer systems. He said that spyware is even able to masquerade as security software while actually doing damage.

Saunders expressed caution should be exercised when visiting Web sites if pop-ups start appearing, or if a users? computer starts showing constant or required requests to install browser components and other applications.

?Any offer for free software, or ?upgrades? by big names is another thing to watch out for,? Saunders said. ?The best thing to do is to go to a company's registered Web site to get the legitimate downloads available.?

?Professional analysts have found that survival time of a brand new computer, just connected to the Internet, is 18 minutes,? added Saunders. ?Out of 6 trillion IP addresses out there, that is like a blink of an eye.?

To download the free anti-spyware software, go to the DISA Web site at https://iase.disa.mil/sdep, or the Navy's Information Assurance Web site at https://infosec.navy.mil. At the INFOSEC site, click on the COMPUSEC tools tab and scroll down to the anti-spyware link, second from the top. The software can then be saved a local hard drive for writing on a CD-ROM or other portable media for home use. Users must be on a ?.mil? workstation to download the software.

For more information about spyware and other computer security threats, go to https://infosec.navy.mil, or call the NCDOC 24/7 hotline at 1-888-NAVCDOC.

NCDOC is part of NETWARCOM, the Navy's type commander for Information Operations, FORCEnet, networks and Space. Based in Norfolk, Va., the command is the central operational authority responsible for providing ready Information Warfare forces, which are fully trained, properly manned, interoperable, well maintained and supported within the Navy.