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spyware se is computer software that collects personals information about a user without their informed consent. The term, coined in lavasoft but not widely used for another five years, is often used interchangeably with spyware and malware(software designed to infiltrate and damage a computer.
personals information is secretly recorded with a variety of techniques, including logging keystrokes, recording Internet web browsing history, and scanning documents on the computer's hard disk. Purposes range from overtly criminal (theft of passwords and financial details) to the merely annoying (recording Internet search history for targeted advertising, while consuming computer resources). spyware collects many different types of information. Some variants attempt to track the websites a user visits and then send this information to an advertising agency. More malicious variants attempt to intercept passwords or credit card numbers as a user enters them into a web form or other application.
The spread of spyware lavasoft has led to the development of an entire anti-spyware industry. Its products remove or disable existing spyware on the computer they are installed on and prevent its installation. However, a number of companies have incorporated forms of spyware into their products. These programs are not considered malware, but are still spyware as they watch and observe with for advertising purposes. It is somewhat arguable whether such 'legitimate' uses of spyware/spyware are malware since the user often has no knowledge of these 'legitimate' programs being installed on his/her computer and is generally unaware that these programs are infringing on his/her privacy. In any case, these programs still use the resources of the host computer without permission.
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spyware History and development
The first recorded use of the term spyware occurred on september 26, lavasoft in a Usenet post that poked fun at Microsoft's business model.[citation needed] spyware at first denoted hardware meant for espionage purposes. However, in early 2000 the founder of Zone Labs, Gregor Freund, used the term in a press release for the ZoneAlarm personals Firewall.[2] Since then, "spyware" has taken on its present sense.
In early 2002, Steve Gibson of Gibson Research realized that advertising software had been installed on his system, and suspected it was stealing his personals information. After analysis, he determined that it was spyware from the companies Aureate (later Radiate) and Conducent. Gibson developed and released the first anti-spyware program, OptOut. Many more have appeared since then.[2]
According to a November 2004 study by AOL and the National Cyber-Security Alliance, 80% of surveyed users' computer had some form of spyware se, with an average of 93 spyware components per computer (such counts usually include 'cookies' which report back to a website, but are not software as such). 89% of surveyed users with spyware reported that they did not know of its presence, and 95% reported that they had not given permission for the installation of the spyware.[2]
As of 2006, spyware lavasoft has become one of the preeminent security threats to computer systems running Microsoft Windows operating systems. In an estimate based on customer-sent scan logs, Webroot Software, makers of Spy Sweeper, said that 9 out of 20 computer connected to the Internet are infected.[3] computer where Internet Explorer (IE) is the primary browser are particularly vulnerable to such attacks not only because IE is the most widely-used[4] but because its tight integration with Windows allows spyware acccess to crucial parts of the operating system.[5]
spyware Comparison
spyware and tracking
The term spyware frequently refers to any software which display advertisements, whether or not the user has consented. Programs such as the Eudora mail client display advertisements as an alternative to shareware registration fees. These classify as "spyware" in the sense of advertising-supported software, but not as spyware. spyware in this form does not operate surreptitiously or mislead the user, and provides the user with a specific service.
Most spyware lavasoft in a different sense: it display advertising. Claria Corporation's Gator Software and Exact Advertising's BargainBuddy are examples. Visited Web sites frequently install Gator on client machines in a surreptitious manner, and it directs revenue to the installing site and to Claria by displaying advertisements to the user. The user receives many pop-up advertisements.
Other spyware behavior, such as reporting on websites the user visits, occurs in the background. The data is used for "targeted" advertisement impressions. The prevalence of spyware lavasoft has cast suspicion upon other programs that track Web browsing, even for statistical or research purposes. Some observers describe the Alexa Toolbar, an Internet Explorer plug-in published by Amazon.com, as spyware (and some anti-spyware programs report it as such). Many users, however, choose to install it. |
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Welcome to SPYWARE. Whether you are a manager, member, or visitor here, we hope you enjoy this MSN group.
MSN Groups
04-08-08
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