Adware Typically, Adware components install alongside a shareware or freeware application. These advertisements create revenue for the software developer and are provided with initial consent from the user. Adware displays Web-based advertisements through pop-up windows or through an advertising banner that appears within a program's interface. Getting pop-up advertisements when you're working on your computer is very annoying. Anti-spyware software This is a broad term for programs designed to protect a computer from Adware and spyware. Almost all anti-spyware applications feature a scanning engine, which detects suspicious items and removes them from the infected machine. Some anti-spyware applications also include a real-time-protection module, a shield that alerts users when suspicious programs attempt to install themselves and allows users to deny them. Browser-helper object (BHO) BHOs are files--most frequently DLLs--that add additional functionality to Internet Explorer. Although many useful programs such as Adobe Acrobat employ BHOs, these files also can be used for unsavory purposes. BHOs associated with Adware or spyware can monitor your browsing activities, hijack your home page, or replace certain advertisements with others. Dialer Traditional modems use a program called a dialer to connect a computer to the Internet, but dialers are perhaps most well-known for their illegitimate purposes. Bad dialers cause your PC to call long-distance or for-pay numbers, rather than your ISP. This most often results in a large telephone bill for the user and a tidy profit for the dialer’s creator. Drive-by This term is loosely used for a stealth software installation the user does not initiate. In some cases, simply visiting a Web page can download malicious programs to a PC without a user's knowledge or consent. In other cases, a pop-up ad might be used to initiate a drive-by installation. False positive False positives can fall into several categories. In an effort to sell software, unscrupulous anti-spyware programs often will mislead a user into believing his or her machine is infected with spyware when no problems actually exist. The term false positive also can be used when legitimate anti-spyware applications mistakenly label a benign program as a threat. Firewall A firewall is a crucial component in a computer's line of defense, as firewalls prevent unauthorized services or programs from accessing a computer or network resources. Although virtually every corporate network has its own firewall, every personal computer should have one as well. Personal firewalls can come as standalone products or as components built-in to a larger security suite. Hijackers Often installing as a helpful browser toolbar, hijackers may alter browser settings or change the default home page to point to some other site. Keylogger Keyloggers are just what they sound like--programs that record every keystroke made on a PC. Though some parental-control applications include keyloggers for monitoring purposes, the ones that come bundled with spyware are far more insidious. These types of keyloggers send sensitive information to a remote computer, where thieves can access data such as credit-card and bank-account numbers, as well as passwords and social-security numbers. Malware Malware is a general term loosely used to describe any piece of software that exhibits bad behavior, but most frequently it is used when referencing the most malicious forms of spyware. Rogue anti-spyware software Posing as legitimate anti-spyware applications, these malicious programs scan a computer and induce false positives to scare users into buying a product. Rogues often attempt to distribute themselves via ominous pop-up ads and can be very difficult to manually uninstall. Rootkit Although an exact definition of what constitutes a rootkit is still under debate, it is generally regarded as a piece of software that allows intruders to conceal malicious files and programs from users or system administrators. Rootkits can be extremely hard to uninstall and allow troublemakers to go about their dirty work undetected. Spyware Spyware often installs as a third-party component bundled with a freeware or shareware application, just like Adware, making the distinction between the two somewhat vague. Spyware includes code used to gather and transmit information about the user or his or her behavior to a third party. This statistical data often is collected without the knowledge or consent of the user. Tracking cookies Internet browsers write and read cookies, files with small amounts of data (such as site passwords and settings) based on instructions from Web sites. In many cases, cookies provide a benefit to users. However, in some instances cookies are used to consolidate and track user behavior across different sites, which provides marketers with private information about an individual. Trojan horses Trojan horses slip into an individual's system and run without the user's knowledge. They can have many functions. For example, some use a computer's modem to dial long-distance, generating huge phone bills for the computer owner. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojan horses do not make copies of themselves.

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• Anti-Syware Section - Anti-Spyware Section