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Article: Spyware and Adware.
- Article from:
- Computing
- Article date:
- August 18, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Incisive Media, published with the permission of Incisive Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Spyware and Adware
Spyware was first recognised as a serious threat in 1999, when Gregor Freund, the founder of Zone Labs used the term to refer to software that covertly subverts a PC's operation for the benefit of a third party -- often for financial gain.
Unlike viruses, spyware is not usually self-replicating, but it is extremely contagious: a 2004 survey of global computer users by the National
Cyber-Security Alliance suggested that more than 80 per cent of PCs are infected, and
89 per cent of those are unaware of the fact.
Spyware uses a number of methods to achieve its goals. The most worrying is the theft of personal ...