'Spyware' is a type of malware that is installed on computers and
collects information about users without their knowledge. The presence of
spyware is typically hidden from the user. Typically, spyware is secretly
installed on the user's personal computer. Sometimes, however, spywares such as
keyloggers are installed by the owner of a shared, corporate, or public computer
on purpose in order to secretly monitor other users. While the term spyware suggests that software that secretly monitors the user's
computing, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring.
Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as
Internet surfing habits and sites that have been visited, but can also interfere
with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional
software and redirecting Web browser activity. Spyware is known to change
computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, different home pages,
and/or loss of Internet or functionality of 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 practices for computers, especially
those running Microsoft Windows. A number of jurisdictions have passed anti-
spyware laws, which usually target any software that is surreptitiously
installed to control a user's computer. The US Federal Trade Commission has
placed on the Internet a page of advice to consumers about how to lower the risk
of spyware infection, including a list of "do's" and
"don'ts."[[http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/spyware.aspx Spyware:Quick
Facts]]
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