During Internet research finding cool stuff in the news for my website this evening, I somehow picked up SpyWare from a company called Enigma Software Group.

This company will hopefully die an ugly death, as far as I am concerned.

They secretly installed software on my computer that my spyware detection program missed. Suddenly I was hit with a bombardment of popups that warned me that I didn't have their paid software installed on my computer.

I killed the popups, and then opened a new browser, and ho-ho, they wrote code into my Windows XP registry that changed my default start page to one of their nefarious pages that bombarded me with new popups warning me that they seriously wanted me to buy their software.

While trying to close the popups again, suddenly my CD-ROM drive opened down next to my right leg on my computer. A new popup declared, "If your CD-ROM drive just opened, you are vulnerable to inadvertent spyware being installed on your computer. Click here to get our software now!"

They actually installed a program that sent a command to open my CD-ROM drawer!!! I almost aimed a loaded pistol into the open drawer and demanded that the little gremlin come out with his hands where I could see them, but then I came to my senses and calmed down just a bit. 

Irony can sometimes be humorous: An anti-spyware software company hacked my system to warn me that spyware could be installed without my permission.

I did update my spyware settings (not with THEIR software, mind you) and found their code surreptitiously installed on my hard drive, and promptly removed it, thank you very much.

I think their tactics of informing me of the vulnerability suck like ten Lewinskis, and make me extremely distrustful of their organization. I am writing them a letter, by the way, to let them know how I feel. I will be tactful but very straightforward in my feelings.

I'll post their response if and when I receive it.