ABOUT ADWARE & SPYWARE
Spyware and adware, also called "malware", are files made by publishers that allow them to snoop on your browsing activity, see what you purchase and send you "pop-up" ads. They can slow down your PC, cause it to crash, record your credit card numbers and worse.

When you consider the amount of valuable personal information stored on your PC, including credit card and banking details, personal e-mails and documents, shopping and browsing habits, the risks of having software intruders become obvious. Known consequences of spyware and adware include identity theft, computer problems, slow Internet access, changed homepage and favorites, and excessive numbers of pop-up adverts.

Anti-virus software and firewalls do not fully protect your system against the majority of spyware and privacy threats. You need to make sure you protect yourself; Maksys will remove these programs and protect you from further infection.

WHAT IS ADWARE?
Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development costs and helps to hold down the cost for the user.

adware has been criticized for occasionally including code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This practice has been dubbed spyware and has prompted an outcry from computer security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

WHAT IS SPYWARE?
Spyware is part of an overall public concern about privacy on the Internet. spyware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported Software (Ad-ware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users.

There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.

Spyware can come in the form of cookies; information transmission, web bugs, and most are deliberately hidden so users are unaware of the spyware.

WHAT IS THEIFWARE?
Thiefware is software being used in an unethical or disagreeable manner. The term does not necessarily mean that the software is involved in outright thievery or other serious criminal activity as determined by law.

Some of the software mentioned places links on victimized sites for visitors to click on, leading them away to other competitor sites.  Many site owners would say the software is stealing visitors, which makes thiefware an appropriate name for such services and software.

WHAT IS PHISHING?
Phishing is an e-mail fraud method in which the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking email in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from recipients. Typically, the messages appear to come from well known and trustworthy Web sites.

Web sites that are frequently spoofed by phishers include PayPal, eBay, MSN, Yahoo, Bestbuy, and America Online.  A phishing expedition, like the fishing expedition it's named for, is a speculative venture: the phisher puts the lure hoping to fool at least a few of the prey that encounter the bait.