According to Spychecker, spyware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Adware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you dont have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.
Why is it called "Spyware" ?
While this may be a great concept, the downside is that the advertising companies also install additional tracking software on your system, which is continuously "calling home", using your Internet connection and reports statistical data to the "mothership". While according to the privacy policies of the companies, there will be no sensitive or identifying data collected from your system and you shall remain anonymous, it still remains the fact, that you have a "live" server sitting on your PC that is sending information about you and your surfing habits to a remote location.....
Spyware Doctor points out that when a PC is infected with spyware, every keystroke, every website and every conversation could be recorded or monitored by the people or companies that may have secretly installed software on your PC. Some of the telltale signs of spyware and adware infections include banking and identity theft, unusual computer problems, slow Internet access, changed browser homepage, search pages or favorites, etc.
Contrary to popular beliefs, anti-virus software and firewalls do not fully protect your system against the majority of spyware and privacy threats. Because spyware is commonly bundled with software downloads, attached to e-mails, or transmitted through networks it can appear to be legitimate software, but once installed it can be nearly impossible to detect and remove without the help of a dedicated spyware removal tool.
When you consider the amount of valuable and confidential personal information stored on your PC, including credit card and banking details, private e-mails and documents, shopping and browsing habits, the chances of having software intruders snooping on your PC activity are just horrendous. Spyware protection should therefore be an essential part of your protection to defend your privacy and surfing habits from the prying eyes of virtual trespassers.
According to Wikipedia.org, the first recorded use of the term spyware occurred on October 16, 1995 in a Usenet post that poked fun at Microsofts business model. Spyware later came to refer to espionage equipment such as tiny cameras. However, in 1999 Zone Labs used the term when they made a press release for the Zone Alarm Personal Firewall. Since then, computer users have used the term in its current sense. 1999 also saw the introduction of the first popular freeware program to include built-in spyware: a humorous and popular game called "Elf Bowling" spread across the Internet in November of 1999, and many users were surprised to learn that the program actually transmitted user information back to the games creator, Nsoft. For many Internet users, this was their first experience with spyware.
In 2000 Steve Gibson of Gibson Research released the first ever anti-spyware program, OptOut, in response to the growth of spyware, and many more software antidotes have appeared since then. More recently Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com) has released anti spyware program and the International Charter now offers software developers a Spyware Free Certification (http://www.icharter.org/certification/software/spywarefree/index.html) programme.
Mason Wilrie
Mason Wilrie is the owner of
Home Spyware Inc which is the premier resource for Home Spyware information. For more information go to :
http://www.HomeSpyware.com