| Definition of Spyware
Spyware is a form of malicious software that spies on computers and steals
sensitive data. It is different from viruses in the way it launches attacks.
Spyware programs attack in a stealthy, targeted manner to steal
information, whereas traditional viruses attack in an open, mass-
propagation fashion to disable as many computers as possible. Spyware is
also different from spam in its impact on organizations. While spam may be
a great nuisance that decreases the productivity of computer users and
consumes system resources, spyware compromises the confidentiality of
sensitive institutional and personal information.
|
Spyware vs Adware
There has been much recent attention on spyware, but spyware remains an ambiguous term. Too often, when the term spyware is used, it is used to refer to what is actually adware, a type of advertising display software that is more of a nuisance than a security threat. As a result of this blurring of spyware and adware, discussions of the spyware threat often give equal weight to worker productivity and system performance issues as to information theft. The implication is that problems caused by adware are at the same level as problems caused by spyware used by cybercriminals. CP Secure recognizes that there are several types of programs that may be classified as spyware, but it holds that some are more dangerous than others (see figure 1).
To be sure, the daily impact of adware may be more noticeable, but that does not mean more dangerous varieties of spyware do not exist and cannot attack a given organization. An organization needs protection against the full spectrum of spyware, from the most annoying to the most damaging.
The internet gateway is the ideal place to stop spyware. If spy programs can be stripped out of internet traffic at the gateway, before they can install themselves on desktop computers, then the threat of spyware may be substantially reduced.
|
