Spyware: meaning, definitions and examples
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spyware
[ ˈspaɪˌwɛər ]
computer security
Spyware is software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- She suspected that spyware was monitoring her online activities.
- The company's security system detected spyware on their network.
Translations
Translations of the word "spyware" in other languages:
🇵🇹 spyware
🇮🇳 स्पाइवेयर
🇩🇪 Spyware
🇮🇩 spyware
🇺🇦 шпигунське програмне забезпечення
🇵🇱 spyware
🇯🇵 スパイウェア
🇫🇷 logiciel espion
🇪🇸 software espía
🇹🇷 casus yazılımı
🇰🇷 스파이웨어
🇸🇦 برمجيات تجسس
🇨🇿 spyware
🇸🇰 spyware
🇨🇳 间谍软件
🇸🇮 vohunska programska oprema
🇮🇸 njósnahugbúnaður
🇰🇿 шпиондық бағдарлама
🇬🇪 საზვერო პროგრამა
🇦🇿 casus proqramı
🇲🇽 software espía
Word origin
The term 'spyware' originated in the early 2000s, as a combination of 'spy' and 'software'. It was initially used to refer to software that monitored a user's behavior without their consent, often for advertising or information-gathering purposes. Spyware has evolved over the years to encompass a range of malicious software designed to gather information or control a user's computer without their knowledge.