{"id":74494,"date":"2023-07-27T07:06:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T14:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=74494"},"modified":"2024-11-19T21:29:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T05:29:23","slug":"what-is-spyware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/what-is-spyware\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Spyware?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spyware. If the name sounds creepy and invasive, that\u2019s because it is.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The thought of someone virtually looking over your shoulder as you work, play, shop, bank, and so on is pretty unsettling. Yet that\u2019s what spyware effectively does while you\u2019re online. Luckily, you can do plenty to keep spyware from winding up on your devices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Spyware?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Spyware secretly gathers information on you as you use your device. It\u2019s a type of malware. Depending on its form, spyware can sniff out your surfing habits to serve up targeted ads\u2014or it can record your keystrokes, which can steal your passwords and credit card numbers. In all, spyware skims your otherwise personal information and puts it into someone else\u2019s hands.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spyware can end up on your device several ways. That includes clicking on a malicious attachment in an email, a download from a sketchy site, or via an app that you\u2019ve downloaded yourself. Other sources of spyware include pirated video streams, illicit sharing sites (music, videos, games), and sketchy links passed along in social media and texts. <\/span>Sometimes<\/span>, bad actors simply install it on devices themselves if the device is unlocked and unattended.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can find spyware out there in the wild as well. Shared computers at hotels, libraries, and other public locations sometimes wind up with spyware on them. Hackers target these devices in the hopes that unsuspecting users will use them to go online and do a little banking or access otherwise sensitive information. That\u2019s one more good reason to do your important business on your own trusted devices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Different Kinds of Spyware?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Broadly speaking, spyware spans a range of uses. They can land anywhere from legitimate to questionable to outright illegal.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, some applications make it quite clear that they collect and share some usage data. Social media apps are a good example of this. While you might or might not be entirely comfortable with the data they collect, it\u2019s legitimate.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other applications might not make their data collection policies clear, such as burying them in a user agreement\u2014making it difficult for people to know what\u2019s actually being collected. In other words, some app developers <\/span>might<\/span> shroud just how much information and data they track.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, hackers and scammers will maliciously steal information, potentially with an app or by otherwise getting it installed on a victim\u2019s device.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Within this range of legitimate and illegal use, you\u2019ll find different forms of spyware:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n