The term adware<\/strong> is used to describe programs that personalize and display advertisements on your computer via your web browser an through free apps or software programs. In addition, much adware today also does things like collect usage data for online marketing purposes (via web beacons) and redirect your search requests to advertising-heavy websites.<\/p>\n Adware exists in a gray zone of safety. There are legitimate forms of adware that only work if the user has opted in to the program\u2019s tracking and serving features. On the other hand, there is a great deal of superficially<\/em> legitimate adware on the web that is actually being used for nefarious purposes. A wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing, if you’ll pardon the expression. The key difference lies in transparency and disclosure. If a program is collecting data without your consent it is malware. If the program is collecting information with your consent and \u2013 important \u2013 you know the types<\/em> of information being collected that would make it adware.<\/p>\n Adware generally ends up on your machine through one of two major routes: through freeware\/shareware OR through infected websites. Many freeware and shareware programs include adware that is automatically installed on your machine if you\u2019re using the freeware program. It\u2019s annoying but legitimate. That\u2019s how the creator of that freeware is making money. Infected websites are another story and never legitimate. In this channel, the adware is injected into your machine by exploiting a known weakness in your web browser. This is called browser hijacking.<\/p>\n Most people find that adware is just ‘annoying’ or a ‘price to pay for something free’. However depending on the severity, it can actually truly be an online threat and some security experts even rate it as seriously as a computer virus.<\/p>\n There are many great programs that have been developed to remove adware such as Malwarebytes, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, Spybot – Search & Destroy. Most commercial antivirus software programs have an adware and spyware solution, however it is also sometimes sold as an add-on module.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, there is now a new type of adware that actually disables antivirus and anti-malware software solutions. If infected by a strong adware code, the code can actually be stored deep within the computer which involves extensive modifications to remove it.<\/p>\nAdWare Prevention<\/h2>\n