Time was, savvy consumers who paid attention to their computer could sense when something was amiss, like a spyware attack. The computer would slow down, the hard drive would run continuously, the modem lights would blink.

Well, that sixth sense is less and less useful. With broadband connections, there are no blinking lights. Well-written RATs barely consume any processor space. The target computer doesn't slow down, and the hard drive won't spin out of control. So your intuition won't cut it. Without special tools, there isn't any reliable way to detect a RAT.

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Many MSNBC.com readers suggested another intriguing idea that doesn't really work — cutting and pasting passwords into online banking sites instead of typing them. The theory goes that since RATs that monitor keyboard keystrokes send a stream of characters you type to the bad guys, cutting and pasting the logins would mean there was nothing to steal.

That would foil some RATS, but not others, advises noted cybersleuth Richard Smith, who runs ComputerBytesMan.com. Smart RATs actually monitor every entry made in a Web page form — those boxes used for data entry like name, address, and the like. As you might imagine, anything entered in those boxes is generally pretty juicy information for a criminal. These kind of RATs will steal even cut-and-pasted information.

Simpler RATs — those that only capture keystrokes — can be foiled with the cut-and-paste method, Smith said. And in fact, there was a time when he recommended it. But it's generally not worth the trouble at this point, he said.

Checking on your antivirus software is a much more productive way to spend your time. Believe it or not, millions of computer users don't have any antivirus protection at all: 17 percent of Internet users, according to a Consumers Union study published in August. That's a recipe for disaster. And it could have something to do with the fact that in the same study, about 50 percent of consumers reported suffering a spyware attack in the prior six months; and why 1 in 10 computers connected to the Net right now are infected with something, according to Webroot Software.

All of which means the next time you connect to your online bank, it'd be a good idea to check on your firewall and update your antivirus software. And while you're at it, zip up your coat. It's getting cold and dark outside.

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