ADWARE
Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user. Adware has been criticized for occasionally including code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge.
HIJACKER
Hijackers are applications that attempt to take control of the user's home page or search function and reset it with the site of the hijacker's settings. This site is almost always loaded with ads, pop-ups, and/or other make-money-fast portals. Many use stealth techniques or misleading dialogue boxes to perform installation. Hijacker programs will put a reference to themselves in the StartUp or Registry, so that the software reinstalls itself every time the computer is started. If the user tries to change any of these settings, the hijacker then changes them back upon reboot.
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