10 Things I Didn't Know About SpyWare, Adware, Malware, Phishing, Viruses & Trojan Horses

1. Spyware is a computer program that takes information, secretly, and transmits it to display ads, opens a pop-up window, or other actions in a browser window.

2. Malware, is the use of Spyware with a malicious intent.

3. Phishing is a very bad scam using e-mail, where an email directs you to a form that asks you to put in personal information under false pretenses.

4. Adware or advertising-supported software is computer program that automatically displays or downloads ads after the software is installed or while the application is being used.

5. If Adware also collects personal information without your knowledge it becomes spyware.

6. Trojan horses, taken from the Trojan Horse story in Greek mythology, is a form of malware that appears to perform a desirable function for the user but really is allowing unauthorized access to your computer system.

7. Trojan horses can be find there way into your computer by, software downloads, 1.) where a Trojan horse is included as part of a software application downloaded from a file sharing network, 2.) from Websites containing executable content (docs with an ".exe ending", in email attachments, and in software that can be exploited to allow installation of a Trojan horse. (i.e. flaws in a web browser, messaging client, media player, etc...)

8. Trojan horses allow a hacker to have access to a target computer system, remotely, and making it is possible to do various operations.

9. A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. A true virus only spreads from one computer to another(in an executable code).

10. The term "virus" does not really apply to malware, adware, and spyware programs, because they do not have reproductive ability.