Types of Spyware

Spyware works like adware but is usually a separate program that is installed unknowingly when you install another freeware type program or application. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else.

Cell phone spyware is any kind of tracking or other privacy-invasive software that is installed, usually surreptitiously, on a cell phone. Spyware applications track anything from a phone’s physical location to numbers dialed, text messages sent, and Web pages browsed.

Spyware apps generally won’t show up as an icon on your phone, but they may show up in your phone’s download directory. Accessing your phone’s directory varies by device, so if you’re unsure how to do this or uncomfortable doing so, take it to a tech-savvy friend or tech professional to check for you.

"Spyware" is mostly classified into four types: adware, system monitors, tracking cookies, and trojans; examples of other notorious types include digital rights management capabilities that "phone home", keyloggers, rootkits, and web beacons.

Adware and spyware are two types of malicious code everyone needs to know about. Technically, It's Not a Virus Not technically fitting into either the virus or spam category, spyware and adware, are growing concerns for Internet users.

Cookies are small amounts of data sent from a website to a computer. In Windows, most cookies are stored as text files in the logged-on user’s Temporary Internet Files folder. Websites use the encoded information in cookies to “remember” information such as website visits, previous authentication attempts and the status of current logins.

A Trojan horse or Trojan is a type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software. Trojans can be employed by cyber-thieves and hackers trying to gain access to users' systems. Users are typically tricked by some form of social engineering into loading and executing Trojans on their systems.

Spyware is any software that obtains information from a PC without the user’s knowledge. There are many different types of spyware operating on the Internet but you can generally group them Spyware is any software that obtains information from a PC without the user’s knowledge.