Organized crime

Hackers have created various types of key-watching programs and spyware that steal personal information as it’s being typed. That information is then resold. It’s a $62 billion industry, according to computer-security guru David Stelzl, who travels the country telling businesses the gory details of digital theft.

BLOOMINGTON — Jeff Mercier came into work one morning, turned on his laptop, logged into the corporate server and quickly got a call from the IT department.

Somewhere during work travels, a virus attached to his laptop computer with hopes of stealing personal information. Fortunately, he hadn’t put his entire company and customers at risk.

While the laptop couldn’t detect a problem, the well-secure corporate server quickly identified the virus when Mercier logged on at the office. Mercier erased and reinstalled the programs on his laptop. Secure information was not compromised.

“If it wouldn’t have been caught, it probably would have got my banking account information,” said Mercier, director of operations at Bloomington Offset Process Inc. in Bloomington.

Or worse, the virus could have spread into the corporate server and started stealing company information or even the private information of customers. Mercier and his employer are secure. Read more.

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