What is Spyware ?
admin on February 13th, 2006
Spyware is a form of computer software that is installed on a personal computer, without the owner’s knowledge, designed to intercept or take some sort of control over the owner’s interaction with their computer. Spyware is most commonly found on the PC platform and is most commonly associated with Windows based operrating systems.
Although the term spyware suggests that the hidden software secretly monitors the computer owner’s use of their PC, the functions of spyware can and will extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect a wide array of personal information, such as the computer owner’s internet surfing habits, sites that they have visited and potentially reveal browser saved passwords. Spyware can also interfere with control of the infected computer in other ways, such as installing additional software, redirecting a web-browser to other websites the owner would not normally visit and accessing dangerous websites that will cause more harmful viruses or trojans to be installed without the PC owner’s knowledge. Spyware can also be manipulated to divert advertising revenue to a third party.
In some cases, spyware can also change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, set different home pages, cause a loss of internet access and possibly disable other programs (including anti-virus and spyware removal software). In an attempt to increase the understanding of spyware, a more formal classification of its included software types is captured under the term privacy-invasive software.
