Various types of software applications are available for download online today. Many computer users may find they have, intentionally or accidentally, installed a piece of software that is not generally beneficial to their computing experience. Spyware and adware are two types of such software applications.

About Spyware

Software classified as spyware is usually considered to be more malicious than adware. Spyware is basically software that monitors user activity and sends it to another computer via the Internet. Such software is often installed unknowingly and may run in the background, without a computer user even noticing it.

Spyware Considerations

Software classified as spyware is considered a concern as it can possibly monitor a computer user's computing activity. This means activity, such as the browsing of websites and similar information, can possibly be collected by such software. Such data being sent to another computer can be used for purposes a computer user would possibly not appreciate.

About Adware

Adware is another kind of software some computer users may accidentally install. Adware is basically "advertising supported" software. Some freeware and shareware applications are adware for the purposes of supplying an application programmer with revenue and providing free software to computer users. A basic example is an application that shows a small advertisement as it starts.

Adware Considerations

Some adware is an honest business model where a computer user has knowingly installed an application that displays advertisements. Another kind of adware installs other software, such as a browser toolbar, in a computer without a computer user realizing it has done so. This can happen when clicking through the installation of a software application that includes another application as part of its own licensing.

Spyware and Adware Cleaning

Although adware can be an honest business model, it is occasionally done in a way that makes it something a computer user would rather remove. Spyware is software that most computer users would likely rather not have on their computers. There are, thus, many tools for cleaning adware and spyware from a computer. One popular tool is known as "Ad-Aware" and can be used to scan for and remove such applications.

Source:

Adware.info: Adware and Spyware Software Quick Reference: Adware.info