A system and method for researching an identity of a source of activity that is indicative of pestware is described. In one embodiment the method comprises monitoring, using a kernel-mode driver, API call activity on the computer; storing information related to the API call activity in a log; analyzing, heuristically, the API call activity to determine whether one or more weighted factors associated with the API call activity exceeds a threshold; identifying, based upon the API call activity, a suspected pestware object on the computer; identifying, in response to the identifying the suspected pestware object, a reference to an identity of an externally networked source of the suspected pestware object; and reporting the identity of the externally networked source to an externally networked pestware research entity.