Let us see what are the medium through which a spyware infects computer. A spyware in a computer do not try to infect other computers like virus or worms or trojans. It just collects the user details and send to a particular person or firm via internet. Spywares usually get installed in the computer without the knowledge of the user. The spyware usually comes with a useful software. When the user installs the software without knowing that the software contains spyware, the spyware gets installed in to the computer and sends the details about the user stored in the computer. This is against the privacy in using internet. The manufacturer usually presents the spyware as a useful software. The common categories of the software include themes, games, internet utilities such as download accelerators, web boosters etc. Many Internet users were introduced to spyware in 1999, when a popular freeware game called "Elf Bowling" came bundled with tracking software. The cookie is a well-known mechanism for storing information about an internet user on their own computer. If a website stores information about you in a cookie that you don't know about, the cookie can be considered a form of spyware.
Another way of installing is by using the vulnerabilities in the security software provided to block this spyware. This is by making the user to click on a link that is disguised as a pop up asking any thing that makes the user click on the pop-up. that triggers the installing of the spyware. In a few cases, a worm or virus has delivered a spyware payload. Some attackers used the Spybot worm to install spyware that put pornographic pop-ups on the infected system's screen.By directing traffic to ads set up to channel funds to the spyware authors, they profit personally.
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