'Spyware' is computer software that is installed on a personal computer to
intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer,
without the user's informed consent. While the term spyware suggests software that secretly monitors the user's
behavior, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware
programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet
surfing habit, sites that have been visited, but can also interfere with user
control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software,
redirecting Web browser activity, accessing websites blindly that will cause
more harmful viruses, or diverting advertising revenue to a third party. Spyware
can even change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds,
different home pages, and loss of Internet or other programs. 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. In response to the emergence of spyware, a small industry has sprung up dealing
in anti-spyware software. Running anti-spyware software has become a widely
recognized element of computer security best practices for Microsoft Windows
desktop computers. A number of jurisdictions have passed anti-spyware laws,
which usually target any software that is surreptitiously installed to control a
user's computer.
|