spyware

[ spahy-wair ]

noun

1. Computers. software that is installed surreptitiously and gathers information about an internet user's browsing habits, intercepts the user's personal data, etc., transmitting this information to a third party:

   a parent's use of spyware to monitor a child's online activities.

2. tools that are used to conduct espionage:

   sophisticated spyware that rivals that of the CIA.

spyware

/ ˈspaɪˌwɛə /

noun

1. computing software installed via the internet on a computer without the user's knowledge and used to send information about the user to another computer

Word History and Origins

Origin of spyware¹

First recorded in 1980–85; spy + -ware

Example Sentences

The doctor had installed spyware on his mother's computer years earlier to track her finances.

From BBC

He had also installed spyware on his mother's computer so he could monitor the couple's activity and watch them through the in-built camera, Mr Makepeace said.

From BBC

That attack came days after the mass detonation of the hand-held communication devices that Hezbollah relied on to evade Israeli spyware.

From Los Angeles Times

Pegasus spyware hit the headlines in 2021 when a list of 50,000 phone numbers of suspected victims of hacking was leaked to major media outlets.

From BBC

Digital surveillance also surged over the past decade as spyware enables authorities to access journalists’ phones and other devices without their knowledge, Khan said.

From Seattle Times