The Hungry Spider

The hungry spider arrives in the form of a digital egg, out of which he emerges and immediately begins making a web (customisable) in one of the corners of your desktop screen. He then waits patiently watching every movement with his multiple beady eyes.

At the first sign of anything new that appears, disturbing any of the strands of his web, he rushes out, lassoes it then brings it back to his lair for closer examination. If it's deemed ok he releases it, allowing it to fall to the bottom of the screen from where you can retrieve it. If there is anything suspicious about it, he cocoons it into a bundle, then sucks out its contents, which he absorbs, making him bigger and stronger and even more hungry.

If he isn't kept regularly fed, he begins dragging in bits of your work and eating them instead, which is the price you have to pay for providing him with a home. For Windows users, this will never be a problem. Users of less vulnerable systems will be able to sign up to a feeding service - like meals on wheels, known as Flies from Files. Harmless viruses in the form of digital maggots, that hatch out to become irritating flies, arrive at regular intervals. On turning on your computer, you have the satisfaction of watching your Hungry Spider as he races around the screen, rounding them up, and systematically devouring their digital contents.