What is Spyware?

Spyware is a type of malware installed on computers which collects information about the user completely without their knowledge. Typically the presence of spyware is hidden from the user, secretly installed on the computer. However, sometimes spywares such as keyloggers may be installed by corporate, shared or public computers on purpose to monitor any activities online.

The functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring of a computer by collecting personal information such as sites visited and surfing habits. Spyware is known to change computer settings and cause slow connection speeds, change in home pages and loss of internet or program functionality.

Running anti-spyware software has become increasingly popular practice for computer security users with Microsoft Windows. Many jurisdictions have passed anti-spyware laws to protect internet users to lower the risk of infection.

Understand what spyware is to give you insight on how it can be dangerous to your computer. If you download a file and your computer suspects it to be spyware, the best choice is always to refuse the file. Understand what spyware is and compare to other downloadable software such as adware, freeware, shareware and malware.

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