"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."
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