Adware

Adware is short for advertising-supported software. Programs displaying advertising material fall under this category. Adware applications often automatically open a new pop-up window containing advertisements in an internet browser or change the browser’s home page. Adware is frequently bundled with freeware programs, allowing its creators to cover the development costs of their (usually useful) applications.

Adware itself is not dangerous—users will only be bothered by advertisements. Its danger lies in adware's ability to perform tracking functions (as spyware does).

If you decide to use a freeware product, please pay specific attention to the installation program. The installer will most likely notify you that an extra adware program is being installed. Often, you will be allowed to cancel the installation and install the program without adware.

Some programs will not install without adware, or their functionality will be limited. This means that adware may often access the system in a “legal” way, because users have agreed to it. In this case, it is better to be safe than sorry. If a file is detected as adware on your computer, it is advisable to delete it because it is highly likely to contain malicious code.