Though understanding spyware would likely not assuage passions, most people don't exactly know what spyware is - yet they definitely know that they hate it, eMarketer writes, citing a new Ponemon study. The overwhelming number of adult internet users believe that their computers have been infected with spyware, according to the "National Spyware Survey," sponsored by Unisys. More than 84 percent of respondents believe they are victims of spyware, but more than 42 percent admit to having "no idea" where it came from. Of those "victims," some 86 percent report that in the past 12 months spyware-related problems have caused monetary or productivity loss, which could mean a loss nationwide of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. More than 26 percent of the respondents who downloaded spyware stated that they purchased security solutions to respond to spyware threats, and 14 percent said they hired computer consultants.