Spyware comes in a variety of shapes and sizes with each of them having a separate intent and purpose - to a certain extent.
Most people simply think of spyware as one single thing and that spyware explains all the different online threats you might encounter.
Alas spyware is far more complex than that.
One of the more common types of spyware is what's referred to as adware.
These are small pieces of software which are downloaded onto your home or business computer from the Internet.
Normally the process of downloading means that you've chosen to transfer a file to your computer.
This is not so in the case of adware - these files are downloaded to your computer without your consent 99%% of the time.
Apple Mac users can enjoy the fact that most adware is designed to only attack Microsoft Windows based systems - although that situation is changing all the time.
So what does adware do? Well once your system is infected with adware it waits for your computer to connect to the internet.
Once it detects a working internet connection you'll then start receiving popups, popovers and popunders for everything from holidays to adult website memberships.
More worrying than the blatant advertising is the fact that adware can and does track your web surfing habits.
It can collect data on what websites you've listed, keywords you've entered into search engines and even which websites you buy things from.
Once this information has been collected it's then sold on to direct marketing companies who will proceed to bombard you with junk email and more popup ads.
Why is there so much spyware? Well here's the simple answer - money.
The people who produce and distribute adware make an awful lot of money from unwary users clicking on the ads that appear.
Companies are promised that their advert will appear on millions and millions ofcomputer screens with people interested in that particular subject.
They're then charged several thousand dollars and the ads are then displayed for them - clogging up your computer screen in the process.
Alternatively the adware authors themselves own a small website that sells a product or service and the adware is their method of, potentially, increasing their own revenue and income.
So how can you tell if you have adware on your computer? The answer is simple - scan your computer right now.
Spyware and adware are much the same as viruses - you can never be certain that you're virus or adware free without actively scanning for problem files on your computer.
There are thousands of computer users reading this right now who are completely oblivious to the fact that their computer is riddled with multiple types of spyware.
Checking for spyware and adware on your computer is no longer a choice - it must become part of at least a weekly routine if you want to surf safely.
One huge mistake made by most computer users is that finding and deleting the adware files is enough to stop the problem from happening again.
New types of adware will simply replace the deleted files with fresh copies the moment you connect to a valid internet connection.
You have to be proactive in protecting your computer from adware both now and in the future.