Adware definitions
While not necessarily malware, adware is regarded as being more than just the normal advertising one might expect from freeware or shareware. Typically a separate program installed at the same time as a shareware or similar program, adware will usually continue generating advertising even when the user is not running the originally desired program.
A software application that can display advertising banners while the program is running or via some other triggering mechanism is called adware. Ad delivery systems are most often integrated into free applications as a way for developers to recover costs or generate revenue. A critical eye has been placed on adware system because in many cases they may also upload user information collected without explicit permission.
This can include your credit card details!!
Adware can do a number of different things to your system. It can monitor and profile your web usage and direct pop up ads based on your surfing habits. Most peer-to-peer file sharing programs come bundled with Adware and the user is only notified of this in the fine print of the End User License Agreement. Adware is not as dangerous as other infections but it can be incredibly annoying.
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Spyware definitions
Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection, without their knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else.
It is software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Spyware is often installed without the user’s knowledge or explicit permission, in combination with a free download.
Spyware is a computer program which can be installed on personal computers (usually without permission) and collects information to send back to another source – usually an Internet marketing or pornographic website. This information can include your credit card number !!!
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Virus definitions
A dangerous computer program with the characteristic feature of being able to generate and spread copies of itself. Additionally, most computer viruses have a destructive payload that is activated under certain conditions. In computer security technology, a virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. A computer virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus which spreads by inserting itself into living cells. Extending the analogy, the insertion of the virus into a program is termed infection and the infected file (or executable code that is not part of a file) is called a host.
Viruses are one of the several types of malware or malicious software. In common parlance, the term virus often refers to computer worms and other sorts of malware. This can confuse computer users, since viruses in the narrow sense of the word are less common than they used to be, compared to other forms of malware such as worms.
This confusion can have serious consequences because it may lead to a focus on preventing one type of malware over another, potentially leaving computers vulnerable to future damage. However, a basic rule is that computer viruses cannot directly damage hardware but can do a lot of harm to software.
While viruses can be intentionally destructive, (e.g. by destroying data) many other viruses are benign or annoying. Some viruses have a delayed payload sometimes called a bomb. E.g. a virus might display a message on a specific day or wait until it has infected a certain number of hosts. A time bomb occurs during a particular date or time and a logic bomb occurs when the user of a computer takes an action that triggers the bomb. However, the predominant negative effect of viruses is their uncontrolled self-reproduction, which wastes or overwhelms computer resources.
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Worm definitions
A computer worm is a self-replicating computer program similar to a computer virus. A virus attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another executable program. However, a worm is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself. They are often designed to exploit the file transmission capabilities found on many computers.
In addition to replication, a worm may be designed to do many things such as delete files on a host system or send documents via email. More recent worms may be multi-headed and carry other executables as a payload. However, even without a payload, a worm can wreak havoc just with the network traffic generated by its reproduction. Mydoom, for example, caused a noticeable worldwide Internet slowdown at the peak of its spread.
