| Spyware is a type of software written by | | | | web sites a user visits and what ads the user may |
| programmers that collects information about people, | | | | click. Companies can then use this data to optimize on |
| companies, or organizations, without consent of the | | | | any trends they may notice. Click through rate, and |
| victim. This illegal activity is done, often unknowingly, | | | | different types of web site layouts are all taken into |
| and can be extremely dangerous to your privacy. | | | | consideration to separate people from their money. |
| Spyware is capable of spying on private data and | | | | Logging keystrokes is the second use of spyware I will |
| changing the configuration of your computer, such as | | | | talk about. One of the most dishonest programs ever |
| how often it restarts and what web pages it loads. A | | | | created is called the "keylogger". Keyloggers are used |
| very common indicator of spyware is increased pop | | | | to steal keystrokes such as passwords, credit card |
| ups or a change of your browsers homepage. | | | | numbers and other personal data, and send them to |
| Spyware can be in many different forms. In most | | | | the hackers computer. These can be one of the most |
| cases, spyware is used to collect data from an | | | | dangerous types of spyware to contract. These |
| individual. Since you permission is not given to give out | | | | programs always run completely secretly and millions |
| your data the program may run completely stealth. | | | | of unknowing Americans have personal data stolen |
| The data collected is sent via the Internet to a server | | | | every year. Although in recent years, most large and |
| where it is complied and read by the creator. There | | | | credible anti virus companies have lowered the threats |
| are many methods spyware uses to collect | | | | of keyloggers, new ones are being written everyday |
| information. Some of the most common ways are | | | | and still pose a huge threat. |
| through built in features of web browsers, downloaded | | | | Users who do online banking, or buy items online, are |
| ActiveX controls, standalone executable programs, or | | | | at the greatest risk which is why it is very important to |
| web browser plug-ins. | | | | always keep your computer's anti virus/spyware |
| So lets move to what kind of "data" spyware collects. | | | | software up to date and to never download files from |
| The two main purposes of spying on a computer is to | | | | untrusted sites no matter how tempting or innocent |
| track web sites, or log keystrokes. Many marketing | | | | they seem. One mistake can cost your entire bank |
| companies are known for making a type of Spyware | | | | account information and your identity. |
| called "Adware". This Adware is used to trace what | | | | |