Defining Spam, Spyware, and Malware

Spam and spyware are subjective terms. Just ask ten people for their own definitions of each and you’ll probably get ten different answers.

Spam generally refers to unwanted commercial e-mail that is typically sent in bulk to thousands or even millions of recipients. There are some gray areas that we hope won’t trip you up: Some people may include the e-mail produced by mass-mailing viruses or Trojan horses as spam. Similarly, some people may include e-mail from a company they have done business with as spam. Also, if you subscribe to some e-mail list and at some time in the future you no longer want it, that might be spam.

Spyware, for the purposes of this book, is an inclusive term that also includes adware and scumware. Basically, spyware is software (or software components such as cookies and browser configuration settings) that many people would prefer was not present on their workstations — regardless of how the spyware got onto the workstation to begin with. In every case, spyware gives away information about you that you didn’t authorize.

Malware is a generic term that includes both spyware and some forms of spam, and in some contexts also includes “traditional” malware such as viruses, Trojan horses, and worms.