What is SpyWare?
SpyWare is part of an overall public concern about privacy on the Internet. SpyWare is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported Software (Ad-ware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.

SpyWare can come in the form of cookies; information transmission, web bugs, and most are deliberately hidden so users are unaware of the SpyWare.

What is Ad-ware?
AdWare is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for AdWare is that it helps recover programming development costsand helps to hold down the cost for the user.
AdWare has been criticized for occasionally including code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This practice has been dubbed SpyWare and has prompted an outcry from computer security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center.


What is ThiefWare?
Thief-Ware is software being used in an unethical or disagreeable manner. The term does not necessarily mean that the software is involved in outright thievery or other serious criminal activity as determined by law.

Some of the software mentioned places links on victimized sites for visitors to click on, leading them away to other competitor sites. Many site owners would say the software is stealing visitors, which makes ThiefWare an appropriate name for such services and software.

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