There are thousands of different spyware threats operating on the Internet, each
with unique tactics. Many of the most common forms of spyware can be placed into
one of the following categories:

Adware

1) Adware - Adware is software whose revenues are supported by pop-up ads that
are displayed while the program is running. These adware applications are
bundled with seemingly legitimate programs, which are often downloaded from the
Internet as freeware. The user is often unaware that adware is included in these
applications. Once installed, this type of spyware generates a barrage of pop-up
advertisements and can further invade user privacy by installing additional
components to track web surfing habits and collect personal information.

Some advertising-supported software will not inform you when it installs adware
on your system, or will bury such notification in small print. In many cases,
the software that is financially supported by adware will cease to function
without the adware component. Sometimes adware will infiltrate your computer
even when you decline the installation.

Examples of adware applications include: AdBlaster, Ad-Popper, Sandboxer,
LoudMarketing, etc.

Keystroke Monitors / System Monitors

2) Keystroke Loggers/ System Monitors - A particularly insidious form of
spyware, these applications can monitor and record virtually everything a user
does on his/her machine. Passwords, keystrokes -everything the user types or
clicks- is continually stored in an encrypted log file and then regularly
reviewed by the spyware host. Sophisticated new forms of keystroke loggers and
system monitors can now install themselves remotely without administrative
access to a machine.

Trojan Horses - Trojan Horse Viruses

3) Trojan Horse - A Trojan horse is a destructive program, deceptively disguised
as a benign application, that is designed to damage operating systems, software,
or the hard drive, causing loss of information or even the destruction of the
user's system. Remote Administration Tools, or RATs, are a type of Trojan horse
that allows the attacker unauthorized and unrestricted access to a computer
whenever the user is online.

Examples of Trojan horses include: Netspy, Winspy, Spyboy, etc.

Browser Hijackers / Page Hijackers

4) Hijackers - A Browser/ Page Hijacker is an application designed to change the
user's browser settings to direct the user to a website specified by the spyware
author. Many hijackers use misleading dialog boxes or other deceptive tactics to
install on the user's computer. Hijacker programs typically place a reference in
the registry so that they reinstall every time the computer is started. A System
Hijacker is an application that uses the host computer as a resource for
conducting other activities. This strains the performance of the host computer
and decreases Internet speed.

You can stop spyware by using programs like CounterSpy.

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