Learning Center: What is Adware?

Have you experienced annoying Pop-up ads that appear while you are surfing? If so, you have already been introduced to Adware.

This is Adware:
Adware is any software that downloads automatically and displays or plays while you are online. Adware is not Spyware, but there is a great deal of overlap, and considerable controversy about the difference.

This is how Adware works:
Adware is often integrated into shareware or freeware, as a way of attracting revenue-producing customers. For example, in the case of some toolbars or games, the creators allow you to use the product for free, as long as you accept advertising for products that are not free.

This is what Adware does:
Adware most often takes the form of Pop-ups. As you surf, Pop-ups appear on your screen. These can be a nuisance, but more important, they can indicate the presence of Spyware. For example, if you are surfing the Web for ski equipment, and up pops an ad from a travel service for ski vacations, you can be sure your surfing is being monitored. Although Adware is not Spyware, strictly speaking, it is most effective when it is guided by Spyware. That winter vacation ad will get a better response than one from a home improvement center when it is delivered strategically to the surfer looking at skis.

Adware can interfere with your surfing. It ranges in severity from being annoying to bringing your system to a halt.

This is how you get Adware: When you download software, most often free software, there is always an End User License Agreement (EULA, pronounced yoo'-la.) At the end of this long block of text, which most users do not read, are option buttons indicating that the user accepts or does not accept the terms of the license. You must accept the terms in order for the software to load. If you do accept, you may be accepting Adware as well.

This is how to block Adware:

• Read the EULA carefully before downloading software, especially free software. This can be a daunting task. Most EULAs, especially for those bundling Adware into their software, are not written to be understood easily.
• Do not click on Pop-up ads. That will only encourage the creators of nuisance advertising.
• Install STOPzilla. STOPzilla features advanced Pop-up blocking. With STOPzilla, you can choose to receive advertising from specific sites, or none at all. Surfing will be faster without Pop-up displays soaking up your computer's processing power. STOPzilla is the ultimate Pop-up killer.