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Spyware is loosely defined as malicious software designed to enter your computer device, gather data about you, and forward it to a third-party without your consent. Spyware can also refer to legitimate software that monitors your data for commercial purposes like advertising. However, malicious spyware is explicitly used to profit from stolen data.
Whether legitimate or based in fraud, spyware’s surveillance activity leaves you open to data breaches and misuse of your private data. Spyware also affects network and device performance, slowing down daily user activities.
By becoming aware of how spyware works, you can avoid issues in enterprise and personal use.
In this article, we’ll help you answer the question: “what is spyware and what does it do?” and help you understand how to block spyware like Pegasus software. Also, check out this video with a brief explanation.
What Does Spyware Do?
Before we dive deeper, you’ll want to understand “what does spyware do on your computer?”
All spyware peeks into your data and all your computer activity — whether authorized or not. However, many trusted computer services and applications use “spyware-like” tracking tools. As such, the spyware definition is reserved mostly for malicious applications nowadays.
Malicious spyware is a type of malware specifically installed without your informed consent. Step-by-step, spyware will take the following actions on your computer or mobile device:
Infiltrate — via an app install package, malicious website, or file attachment.
Monitor and capture data — via keystrokes, screen captures, and other tracking codes.
Send stolen data — to the spyware author, to be used directly or sold to other parties.
In short, spyware communicates personal, confidential information about you to an attacker.
The information gathered might be reported about your online browsing habits or purchases, but spyware code can also be modified to record more specific activities.
Data compromised by spyware often includes collecting confidential info such as:
Login credentials — passwords and usernames
Account PINs
Credit card numbers
Monitored keyboard strokes
Tracked browsing habits
Harvested email addresses
How Spyware Infects Your Devices
Malicious spyware needs to mask itself carefully to install and operate unnoticed. Therefore, it’s methods of infection are usually obscured within seemingly normal downloads or websites. This malware may be in or alongside legitimate programs and websites via vulnerability exploits, or in custom-designed fraudulent apps and sites.
Bundleware, or bundled software packages, are a common delivery method for spyware. In this case, the software attaches itself to some other program you intentionally download and install.
Some bundled spyware installs discreetly without warning. Other times, your desired software will describe and require the spyware in the license agreement — without using that term. By forcing you to agree to the full software bundle to install the desired program, you are voluntarily and unknowingly infecting yourself.
Alternatively, spyware can get into a computer through all the avenues that other malware takes, such as when the user visits a compromised website or opens a malicious attachment in an email.
Note: Be aware that spyware is different from viruses. While both are types of malware that hide within your device, viruses are designed to replicate and embed into your other device files. Spyware does not have this replication trait. Therefore, terms like “spy virus” are not accurate.
Types of Spyware
Spyware is generally classified into four main categories:
Trojan spyware enters devices via Trojan malware, which delivers the spyware program.
Adware may monitor you to sell data to advertisers or serve deceptive malicious ads.
Tracking cookie files can be implanted by a website to follow you across the internet.
System monitors track any activity on a computer, capturing sensitive data such as keystrokes, sites visited, emails, and more. Keyloggers typically fall into this group.
Each type gathers data for the author or a third-party, all to be used to the attacker’s benefit. The lesser of these harmful types will simply monitor and send your data off to the attacker — like tracking cookies. System monitors and adware are far worse, as they can gather data and may also make modifications to your system that expose you to other threats.
In explaining why spyware is bad, we must unpack the explicit problems you can face when exposed to spyware.
Examples of Problems Caused by Spyware
Spyware can be incredibly dangerous if you’ve been infected. Threats can range from mild inconveniences to long-term financial damage. Among these problems, below are some of the most common:
Data Theft and Identity Fraud
First, and perhaps most importantly, spyware can steal personal information that can be used for identity theft. If malicious software has access to every piece of information on your computer, it can harvest more than enough information to imitate your identity. Information used for this purpose includes browsing history, email accounts, and saved passwords for online banking, shopping, and social networks. Also, if you've visited online banking sites, spyware can siphon your bank account information or credit card accounts and sell it to third parties — or use them directly.
Computer Damages
More commonly, you will face the damage spyware can do to your computer. Spyware can be poorly designed, leading to system-draining performance. The lack of performance optimization can take up an enormous amount of your computer's memory, processing power, and internet bandwidth. As a result, infected devices may run slowly and lag in between applications or while online. Worse cases include frequent system crashing or overheating your computer, causing permanent damage. Some spyware can even disable your internet security programs.
Disruptions to Your Browsing Experience
Spyware can also manipulate search engine results and deliver unwanted websites in your browser, which can lead to potentially harmful websites or fraudulent ones. It can also cause your home page to change and can even alter some of your computer's settings. Pop-up advertisements are an equally frustrating issue that accompanies some types of spyware. Advertisements may appear even when offline, leading to inescapable annoyances.
