Spyware From Wikipedia

Spyware From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search  Spyware is a type of malware (malicious software) installed on computers that collects information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's personal computer. However, some spyware such as keyloggers may be 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 software that monitors a user's computing, the functions of spyware can extend beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habits, a history of visited sites, and user logins and passwords. Spyware can also interfere with user control of a computer in other ways, such as installing additional software or redirecting web Web browsers. Some spyware can change computer settings, resulting in slow Internet connection speeds, un-authorized changes in home pages, loss of Internet connection, or functionality of other software. Sometimes, spyware is included along with genuine software, and may come from an official software vendor. In an attempt to increase the understanding of spyware, a more formal classification of its included software types is provided by 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.