A system for detecting an observing program on a computer system is disclosed as including accessing instructions that access observer data. The observer data includes data descriptive of the observer program. The observer program is programmed to observe a user's activities on the computer system and also operates to create data from its observations. The system also includes reading instructions that read memory of the computer system to obtain memory data. Further, the system includes comparing instructions that compare the observer data with memory data read in from memory to determine whether the observer program is present on the computer system. The system may also include generating instructions that generate results from the reading and comparing. The results generated indicate whether the observer program is present on the computer system. In addition, the system includes outputting instructions that obtain the results and provide the results for a user.