What is Spyware? Plus, How to Protect Yourself Against It

It's rather easy to define spyware, which is a type of malware that tracks your internet activity in order to gather sensitive information such as credit card numbers or demographics. Most of the time, spyware works in the background of a device, invisible to the unsuspecting.

Spyware comes in the form of a broad range of programs that hide in the background of your computer. There are several ways spyware can make its way onto your device including:

• The attacker installing the spyware on your device
• Downloading software or content from an infected source
• Opening suspicious emails
• Via non-secure internet connections

Spyware can track cookies to map your internet usage, track your social media activity, track the emails you send, and more. Spyware is often used to gather personal information to sell to third-parties such as advertisers. It's also used as a method to spy on others and exploit their actions for their own gain.

A common example of spyware occurs through the use of keyloggers, or tools that record what you type or tools that take screenshots of your device.

For example, you log into your favorite retailer online and begin a purchase. In the background, you're unaware that the purchase is caught in a screenshot, which is sent to an attacker. Unfortunately, the attacker is now able to grab your credit card number.

The first time the term spyware was used was in October 1996, appearing on Usenet. A few years later, the term became synonymous with spy equipment such as cameras hidden inside devices. It was in 1999 that the term hit the mainstream, and 2000 when the first anti-spyware application was released.

From 2000 till now, attackers have only become more ruthless with their ability to gain access to our personal information. Yet, anti-spyware companies such as Norton and McAfee are just as ruthless, constantly creating new software to help us protect ourselves.

You have a chance of coming into contact with serious malware each time you use your devices. It's important to understand how to block spyware as you surf the internet, clear your inbox, and beyond.