Spyware is a form of computer software that is installed stealthily on a computer to collect information about the user and their computer or browsing habits without the user’s informed consent. Spyware has also been described as “Software that transmits personal information to a third party without the user’s knowledge or consent” – McAfee. Spyware has been around since the early nineties and has expanded in rates of infections exponentially since then.
Infection Methods
Spyware does not directly spread in the manner of a computer virus or worm: generally, an infected system does not attempt to transmit the infection to other computers. Instead, spyware gets on a system through deception of the user or through exploitation of software vulnerabilities.
Most types of spyware are installed without the user having any knowledge whatsoever that they have been infected. The highest rated methods of infection are through exploits of unpatched operating systems, web browsers, and various other software programs. There is also an ever increasing rate of infection through e-mail, peer to peer file sharing, torrents and other forms of downloading from the World Wide Web.
Anti Spyware Software
The array of Anti Spyware software on the market is mind-blowing. With the huge growth in Spyware came the equally (if not more) high level of growth in the Anti Spyware and Protection software market. Anti Spyware software ranges from the free Anti Spyware products Microsoft’s Windows Defender and Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware to the commercial use packages offered by Symantec and McAfee who have integrated Anti Spyware features into their existing Anti Virus products.
