What is adware and spyware?

Answer 1

Spyware:
In the field of computing, the term spyware refers to a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the informed consent of that machine's owner or legitimate user. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party.

In simpler terms, spyware is a type of program that watches after what users do with their computer and then send this information to a hacker over the internet. Spyware can collect many different types of information about a user. More benign programs can attempt to track what types of websites a user visits and send this information to an advertisement agency. More malicious version can try to record what a user types to try to intercept passwords or credit card numbers. Yet other versions simply launch popups with advertisements.

Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, however, spyware – by design – exploits infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include delivery of unsolicited pop-up advertisements; theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit card numbers); monitoring of Web-browsing activity for marketing purposes; or routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites.

As of 2005, spyware has become one of the pre-eminent security threats to computer-systems running Microsoft Windows operating-systems (and especially to users of Internet Explorer because of that browser's collaboration with the Windows operating system). Some malware on the Linux and Mac OS X platforms has behavior similar to Windows spyware, but to date has not become anywhere near as widespread due to their comparatively smaller user base; because Microsoft products are the most prevalent on the market currently, it is more productive for hackers to write spyware to target these products, and not Linux or Mac OS.




Adware:
Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Adware, to put it in simple terms, is software that was written to display ads on your computer. Generally these are as simple as a popup banner that won't go away or a hijacked page that leads back to the company's site.

Spyware is software that literally spies on your computer. It may track anything on your computer, from simple web movements online to anything you do on your computer. Spyware is the leading cause for identity theft today and can be more dangerous to you than a virus. Some of the more popular spyware programs that are floating around will strip bank account, paypal account and any other financial information from your computer, usually without you noticing it until it's too late.

Answer 4

Spyware and adware are examples of malicious software or 'malware'. Spyware may reside on in your operating system for some time, quietly spying on you until a financial transaction occurs so it can copy your details and the creator steal all your money. Spyware isn't just for hacking bank account details though, internet companies may send you some, spy on you web site views, and sell your information to other companies. For example, if you recently visited a baby clothes store, you might suddenly start receiving spam on this topic.

Adware too is a malicous form of (typically) unwanted software. Adware can cause pop-ups and annoying advertisements to appear in your browser and even operating system GUI!

Hope this helped,

Redmondinator

Answer 5

These are small programs installed on your computer without your knowledge to track where you go on the net, so that writers of these programs can send you to their websites, instead of the one you are on at the time and bombard you with advertising and pop ups. This is is called browser hi-jacking and in its most malicious form your computer can be used to run illegal programs, remotely without your knowledge. Obviously this will slow down your computer and it will jump to different sites for no apparent reason. Spybot Search & Destroy, Adaware and AVG anti-virus are all excellent and free off the net. They will stop you getting ANY malicious code on your computer. Another program is CCleaner which is also free, will clean out all the unwanted stuff from your computer that builds up over time and make a new machine of it. Jules, lecturer. Australia.

Answer 6

Bad things that get added onto your computer from surfing websites. It's similar to a virus. It's like someone spying on every move you make online and slowing down your computer. Just get a good spyware removal program and run it everytime you boot up.

Answer 7

Here is a package that protects me and my neighbor. I haven't been infected in 5 months, and since I put it on his computer, he hasn't been infected in 3 months. He likes to download porn and it still protects him. Best of all everything is Free and work as good and better than pay packages.

Download the latest Java Update 7. Then remove any older versions from your computer.

http://www.java.com/en/download/windows_...

Go here and download the following programs: All will be in the first 3 red boxes.

http://www.filehippo.com/

Firewall. - If you have XP with SP2 then use the existing Windows firewall. It is excellent. If not then download Zone Alarm free version.

Anti-Virus program - If you have one then use it or replace it with one of these: AVG 7.1 or AVAST

Anti-Spy programs: Use more than one. None can catch all the garbage out there: Windows Defender Beta 2, Spybot Search and Destroy, AdAware SE Personal.

This program will work with the AV and AS programs and add an additional layer of protection and it really works great.

http://www.novatix.com/home.aspx...

This program will alert you to bad sites:

http://www.siteadvisor.com/

These are my recommendation based on what protects me and my neighbor

Answer 8

First of all spyware is the use of malicious code or scripts to harvest marketable information from your computers surfing habits, not unlike a virus spyware infects your computer and whether it causes harm or not monitors you with or without your permission. Spyware slows down all internet connectivity while it reports its findings back to its developers, takes up valuable hard disk space, and can cause high I/O activity, all of which they have not asked you to do or have compensated you in any way. Removal and monitoring of spyware can be done manually but I find it much easier to use software which has been built specifically for this task. The best I have found are listed with a description as follows:

Ad-ware - www.lavasoftusa.com - removes most known spyware BHO Cop - http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-3364664-100-5930345.html Monitors integrated Iexplorer plugins
WinXP Antispy - http://www.xp-antispy.de/ Disables spyware on your computer
Adsheild - http://www.adshield.org/ Disables internet ads Common spyware;
Programs, makers and distributors are: Comet Cursor - One of the most common causers of pop-up ads. Gator -The first versions of Gator had as its official function the capability to remember its user’s passwords and such things. (Would you also give your cash card code to the guy selling hot-dogs beside the cash dispenser machine in order to help you remember the numbers?) Gator is a real abomination since A: the program covers other advertiser's ads with Gator's ads on web sites and B: some of its ads can be interpreted as being child pornography. One version of the program uses a security leak in ActiveX to install itself from web pages without your knowledge, behaviour suspiciously similar to the BadTrans virus. Real.com, Alexa, zBubbles -Check you’re "Tools" - menu in Internet Explorer, if you find an option that says "Show related links" or similar then Alexa is watching you. Alexa and zBubbles log searchstrings and addresses for pages you visit. Alexa comes with Internet Explorer if you do not explicitly deselect it. Aureate Cydoor - Bundled with amongst others the Opera-browser. Cydoor is quite possibly the creators behind the infamous "Clicktilluwin"-Trojan virus which was bundled with amongst others LimeWire. Doubleclick -Traces you mainly with cookies, check the Windows/Cookies-folder. DSSAgent EverAd Adware -Note: Not Ad Aware! VX2 Bonzi -Don't fall for cuteness. eZula, CuteFTP, Download Accelerator (DAP) -does not use popups though. Flashpoint / FlashTrack FileMix Surf+ Spedia FastTrack Expedioware GoHip (Windows Startup) -Messes up Internet Explorer, changes your start up page and AutoSignature. Attaches spam which you have no control over to all E-mail messages you send. Flyswat, Hotbar, KaZaA and TopText - Alters things you see on the Internet, adds yellow links to the text on other people's homepages. BearShare, Newdotnet, OnFlow, Timesink, Web3000 - Messes up important system files and covers other's ads. Like Gator another spreader of abusive pornography. Webhancer, LimeWire, Netscape 6 -It is not absolutely certain that this browser can be classified as spyware. But its behaviour is very suspect since the program acts as a server and when started tries to send information from your computer to someone on the net. Many of the programs which come with NS6 are though certainly spyware. This is tragic since Netscape earlier had the position as "The Good Guys" in relation to more commercial interests. Grokster Transponder, Blackstone, Back Orifice, BackDoor-G ,Wnad FTapp-BHO ...and many more. If you have any of these or similar suspected programs on your computer you should get rid of them right away!

Answer 9

Files that get put into your computer without your permision. They can really mess up your computer since they slow it down. But worse of all its like someone watching you so if you buy things online they can steal your credit card number, identity and much more. Hence the name "spyware."

Answer 10

AdAware and SpyWare protect your privacy so advertisers and data collectors can't follow your every Internet move, and send more SPAM your way. The programs are protective software.