A few weeks ago Candace Locklear's office computer quietly started sending out dozens of instant messages with photos attached that were infected with malicious software.

She was sitting at her desk, with no sign that the messaging software was active. By the time she figured out what was going on, several friends and colleagues had opened the attachments and infected their computers.

It took eight hours for a technician to clean up her computer. But because the malicious software worked so secretly, she's still not convinced that all's clear.

"I'd like to think that it's gone. But I just don't know," said Locklear, 40, a publicist in San Francisco. "That's what is so frustrating."

Computer security experts estimate that tens of millions of personal computers are infected with malicious software like the one that attacked Locklear's machine. Such programs, generally classified as malware, attack companies along with consumers.

Some are keyloggers, recording every key stroke that the user enters -- sending valuable bank account information, passwords and credit card numbers to hackers.

In July, hackers used keylogging software to gather passwords to databases at the U.S. Department of Transportation, consulting firm Booz Allen, Hewlett-Packard Co and satellite network company Hughes Network Systems, according to British Internet security software maker Prevx Inc.

And other malware programs turn PCs into "zombies," literally giving hackers full control over the machine. The zombies can be instructed to act as servers, sending out tens of thousands of spam emails promoting counterfeit medications, luxury watches or penny stocks without the PC owner ever knowing about it.

Courtesy : Expressindia.com

Though Indians continue to use internet primarily for emailing, online dating, and matrimonials along with social networking are gaining prominence, says a survey.

"With almost half the online urban Indians (48 per cent) undertaking it, online matrimonial search has established itself as a 'mainline' online activity. Twelve million online urban Indians are using online matrimonial search, making it the 13th most popular online activity. It has also been one of the biggest 'gainers' in users among the online activities in last one year," says India Online 2007, a survey conducted by JuxtConsult, an online research solutions consultancy firm.

The survey conducted to understand the Internet users in the country adds, " Almost 60 per cent of users of both the online activities are common, ie 37 per cent of all Internet users undertake both online matrimony and online dating/friendship.

"This is significantly higher than last year when only 9 per cent of all Internet users undertook both the activities. In comparison to matrimony, dating/friendship is a more

popular online activity with 51 per cent net users undertaking it and it ranks 10th in terms of popularity."

The latest entrant, social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook among others have already rallied up 44 per cent of the Internet time with over 11 million Indians getting hooked to it.

Giving a demographic profile of Internet users in the country, the survey points out that South India leads the online activity with 39 per cent of all net users coming from South. The survey, which was conducted both online and offline covering more than 36,000 respondents from 31 cities spread across the country adds, "The popularity of online matrimonial search has really surged in last one year. Last year the percentage of all net users undertaking matrimonial search was only 15 per cent.

At 48 per cent usage level now, the category has seen an addition of a 33 per cent of all net users joining the category in this year."

"There is no denying that matrimonial websites are now gaining prominence if we go by the number of people who register with us. We are making it easier for them by bringing out vernacular matrimonial websites which is attracting a large section of the online matrimonial search users, " says Uday Zokarkar, Business Head, Bharatmatrimony Centre.

Bharatmatrimony group (vernacular sites also included) has been voted as the most preferred matrimonial site in the survey.

Another activity, which is the second most preferred


Courtesy : Experssindia.com