Understanding Spyware and Adware
Spyware is a type of malware that is similar to but different from computer viruses. Like a Trojan horse, spyware typically gets installed in the background when you’re installing another program, without your knowledge or consent. Unlike a virus, however, spyware doesn’t replicate itself; its job is to spy on your system, not to spread itself to other computers.
That’s right, spyware surreptitiously sends information about the way you use your PC to some interested third party. And that’s not a good thing.
How Spyware Works
Just what type of information does spyware monitor? Here’s a short list of what a spyware program could do:
• Record the addresses of each web page you visit
• Record the contents ...
Get Microsoft now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
