Crisis: US PCs installed with spyware

Internet Education Foundation (IEF), a non-profit group engaged in Internet-related Education in the United States, and Dell, published a survey on U.S. users' understanding of Spyware. According to the survey, more than 90% of computers in the United States are installed with spyware, and most users do not know how to detect and clear them.

The survey was conducted by Dell and IEF as an integral part of the Consumer startup activity Consumer Spyware Initiative (CSI. Spyware refers to a program that sneak into a personal computer without the user's knowledge, records key input and operations, and secretly sends the obtained information to the outside through the network. Install the software by email or software download.

The campaign will continue until next year, targeting more than 63 million Internet users (equivalent to the number of broadband users) in the United States. In addition to providing links to the anti-spyware tool component on the IEF Website "GetNetWise", Dell product users can also directly consult with the Dell website by email. Other IT enterprises and industry groups will also be called to publish GetNetWise textbooks to customers and members.

Tim Lordan, managing director of IEF, said: "The Internet has become an indispensable part of our economy and our lives. Internet users must be prevented from surfing the internet to avoid Spyware risks. CSI will provide Internet users with the necessary knowledge for secure Internet access .".