A bill to take the "spy" out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of . . .
A bill to take the "spy" out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of their applications, as well as seek permission from users before downloading intrusive goods to their computers.

"Unfortunately, consumers regularly and unknowingly download software programs that have the ability to track their every move," Bono told members of the House Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"You're starting to see some very sophisticated capabilities built into these things," he told TechNewsWorld. "Some spyware will sit there and monitor what you're doing at your computer or steal sensitive information about you or your customers."

Until now, spyware has been seen as primarily a consumer problem, but Clearswift issued a white paper on the eve of the Congressional hearing suggesting the malware will create serious trouble for businesses, too. "[Programs that] have been marketed and sold as corporate security devices and parental control software for kids are finding their way into the hands of hackers and criminals [who aim to] remotely [take] control of a victim's PC to facilitate industrial espionage," Clearswift Threatlab manager Pete Simpson said in a statement.

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