About Spyware and Other Types of Grayware

Your clients are at risk from threats other than viruses. Grayware can negatively affect the performance of the computers on your network and introduce significant security, confidentiality, and legal risks to your organization (see table Types of spyware/grayware).

Types of Spyware/Grayware	Descriptions
Spyware/Grayware	Gathers data, such as account user names and passwords, and transmits them to third parties.
Adware	Displays advertisements and gathers data, such as user web surfing preferences, through a web browser.
Dialers	Changes computer Internet settings and can force a computer to dial pre-configured phone numbers through a modem.
Joke Program	Causes abnormal computer behavior, such as closing and opening the DVD-ROM tray and displaying numerous message boxes.
Hacking Tools	Helps hackers gain unauthorized access to computers.
Remote Access Tools	Helps hackers remotely access and control computers.
Password Cracking Applications	Helps hackers decipher account user names and passwords.
Others	Other types not covered above.

Spyware/grayware often gets into a corporate network even when users download legitimate software, as the software may contain grayware applications in the installation package.

Most software programs include an End User License Agreement (EULA), which the user has to accept before downloading. Often the EULA does include information about the application and its intended use to collect personal data; however, users often overlook this information or do not understand the legal jargon.

The existence of spyware and other types of grayware on your network have the potential to introduce the following:

Risk/Threat	Description
Reduced computer performance	To perform their tasks, spyware/grayware applications often require significant CPU and system memory resources.
Increased Web browser-related crashes	Certain types of grayware, such as adware, are often designed to create pop-up windows or display information in a browser frame or window. Depending on how the code in these applications interacts with system processes, grayware can sometimes cause browsers to crash or freeze and may even require a system reboot.
Reduced user efficiency	By needing to close frequently occurring pop-up advertisements and deal with the negative effects of joke programs, users can be unnecessarily distracted from their main tasks.
Degradation of network bandwidth	Spyware/grayware applications often regularly transmit the data they collect to other applications running on your network or to locations outside of your network.
Loss of personal and corporate information	Not all data that spyware/grayware applications collect is as innocuous as a list of Web sites users visit. Spyware/grayware can also collect the user names and passwords that users type to access their personal accounts, such as a bank account, and corporate accounts that access resources on your network.
Higher risk of legal liability	If computer resources on your network are hijacked, hackers may be able to utilize your client computers to launch attacks or install spyware/grayware on computers outside your network. The participation of your network resources in these types of activities could leave your organization legally liable to damages incurred by other parties.