What is Spyware?
Reviewed by Bram P
In real life, a spy is someone who surreptitiously keeps watch, learns the secrets of his or her enemies, and reports them back to his or her employer. A cyber spy functions much the same way as a live spy. Computer spyware installs itself on your computer without your knowledge or consent and records your every move. Computer spyware is sometimes used for marketing purposes. Based on sites you have visited in the past, you may find your browser redirected to similar sites, or you may find yourself barraged by pop-up ads. You may even find that your home page has been changed to a commercial site. Pornography sites are especially infamous for changing homepage settings, which can lead to considerable embarrassment at home or in the workplace. Even worse, computer spyware can be used to record your keystrokes, which can lead to identity theft, especially if you complete online forms requesting your name, date of birth, social security number, credit card information, etc.
