Disasterware?

Sneaky Software

Radiate (formerly Aureate), for example, supplies adware delivered by Radiate's GoZilla download manager and--at one time--dozens of other shareware applications. Microsoft's support site says Radiate's software has been known to cause severe crashes with several versions of Internet Explorer. Radiate chief executive Aaron Maedge says that the company is aware of the problem, but he points out that its software is currently licensed to only 25 apps. Radiate can do little to address problems with legacy shareware, Maedge adds.

A subset of adware, often termed spyware, transmits system and Web-browsing data to advertisers via the PC's Internet connection, sometimes unbeknownst to the person using the PC. These programs not only tie up network bandwidth, but could compromise security.

"As CTO, I could download something compelling, maybe a functional tool, but on the back end of it might be something that could upload all of Websense's financials," Kester says. "There is a risk here, and it's a very real risk."

One example of software doing the unexpected: A company named Brilliant Digital Entertainment recently acknowledged that users of the popular file-sharing program Kazaa had also downloaded Brilliant's software; when activated, this software enables the company to use customers' PCs in a distributed computing network. The company says that it will ask permission first, and that it plans to offer prizes to participants. But Kazaa's terms of service already authorize Brilliant to use your PC in this way for free.

Even if its activities are mentioned in the license agreement, spyware can take users by surprise. Cheryl Bettin, an administrative assistant in Wausau, Wisconsin--and a savvy software downloader--says that she didn't realize she had spyware on her PC until her firewall caught it trying to send information back to the software's vendor.

Bettin used another freeware program--Lavasoft's Ad-aware (see "9 Safe Download Strategies")--to locate and remove the offending software. Although the experience has made her more wary, it hasn't prevented her from downloading shareware.

"I've found some shareware apps that are a royal pain, and I can hardly delete them fast enough," she says. "I've found others that worked so well, I could barely wait to send in the registration fee."