What Is Spyware?
Although it sounds like something James Bond would employ, spyware is all too real. Spyware is any software that installs itself on your computer and starts covertly monitoring your online behavior without your knowledge or permission. Spyware is a kind of malware that secretly gathers information about a person or organization and relays this data to other parties. In some cases, these may be advertisers or marketing data firms, which is why spyware is sometimes referred to as “adware.” It is installed without user consent by methods such as a drive-by download, a trojan included with a legitimate program or a deceptive pop-up window.
Spyware uses your internet connection to relay personal information such as your name, address, browsing habits, preferences, interests or downloads. Other forms of spyware hijack your browser to point it to another website, cause your device to place calls or send texts automatically, or serve annoying ads even when you are offline. Spyware that steals your username, password or other credentials is referred to as a “keylogger” – an insidious prerequisite for cyber crime.
Signs of a spyware infection can include unwanted behaviors and degradation of system performance. It can eat up CPU capacity, disk usage and network traffic. Stability issues such as applications freezing, failure to boot, difficulty connecting to the internet and system crashes are also common.
