: Sending the stolen data (passwords, banking details, personal messages) to third parties for profit or identity theft. Primary Categories of Spyware

: Small files dropped onto a device to follow online movements across different websites. Detection and Prevention

Spyware is a type of malware designed to secretly gather information from a computing device without the user's consent. It typically operates in three stages:

What Is Spyware? Definition, Types And Protection - Fortinet

: Record everything from keystrokes to social media activity and can even activate a device's camera or microphone.

: Tracking internet activity, capturing keystrokes (keylogging), or taking screenshots.

: Entering a device via malicious links, phishing emails, or bundled software.

: Automatically displays or downloads advertisements, often tracking browsing history to serve targeted ads.