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CT: Programs that secretly record what you do on your computer are called spyware. They can be used for some perfectly legitimate purposes, but the majority of spyware is malicious. Its aim is usually to capture passwords, banking credentials and credit card details – and send them over the internet to fraudsters.
‘Spyware’ is the generic name we give to programs that contain additional functionality designed to secretly monitor your activities on your computer.

S: BBC – http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-spyware (last access: 2 January 2017)

N:1. From spy (mid-13c., “one who spies on another,” from Old French espie “spy, look-out, scout” (Modern French épie), probably from a Germanic source related to spy (v.) + ending from software in the computer sense.
2. A software that uses the Internet connection of a user, without any knowledge, for collecting and exploiting information.
3. Spyware is installed on a user’s computer for the purpose of spying. Some spyware programs record keystrokes, while others capture and store images from the monitor at preset intervals so another party can see everything the unsuspecting user saw. Advanced spyware programs can email the captured data to the spy. Spyware is invisible to the user.
4. Spyware is often bundled with other software or downloads on file-sharing sites (e.g., sites where you download free music or movies), or is installed when you open an email attachment. Because of the secretive nature of spyware, most people are not aware when spyware is on a computer that’s unprotected by anti-spyware.
5. New and/or unidentifiable icons may appear in the task bar at the bottom of your screen, while searches may result in you being redirected to a different search engine. Random error messages appear when you perform operations that previously worked fine. But the best way to identify if you have been infected is to use a spyware scanner, which will be included in any anti-spyware software.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=spyware (last access: 20 December 2016). 2 & 3. TERMIUM PLUS – https://goo.gl/I9cbF (last access: 20 December 2016). 4 & 5. AVAST https://www.avast.com/c-spyware (last access: 20 December 2016 ).

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CR: antivirus , computer science, computer virus, computer worm, malware, software , Trojan horse.