This section provides a quick introduction of spyware.
A couple of weeks ago, I had to spend several hours to help a friend of mine to remove spyware
on his computer. It was a very interesting experience, and I want to share with you.
First, I searched the Web for a good definition of spyware. Here is what I found:
Spyware is a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control
of a computer's operation without the informed consent of that machine's owner or legitimate user. While the term taken
literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that
subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party.
Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, however, spyware
is designed to exploit infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include delivery of
unsolicited pop-up advertisements; theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit card
numbers); monitoring of Web-browsing activity for marketing purposes; or routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites.
