What is the difference between spyware, adware, malware and viruses?

Are they all the same and if so why different names, or do they all have specific goals.

Viruses are obviously the worst, but what is next and so forth?

What is the difference between spyware, adware, malware and viruses?microsoft

all the same idea, but do different things.

spyware spies on you. records the websites you visit. what you looked at on a site. could record passwords.

adware sends you advertisements. pop up ads, etc.

malware is when you think it is software to do something,but it is MALicious. it is designed to look like something else. free software with something hidden in it.

and a virus is called a virus because it acts like a human virus. spreads on contact and replicates.

they need different names because they act differently, and must be defended against differently.

i use a virus scan(AVG), adware scan (AD- Aware)spyscan (spybot) and a software firewall(zonealarm). none catches all of them.

What is the difference between spyware, adware, malware and viruses?norton ghost

well u can find very valuable information regarding virus and its history on wikipedia.org

check this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_vi...