The term Spyware has been used in two ways.
In its narrow sense, Spyware is a term for Tracking Software deployed without adequate notice, consent, or control for the user.
In its broader sense, Spyware is used as a synonym for what the ASC calls “Spyware (and Other Potentially Unwanted Technologies).”
Technologies deployed without appropriate user consent and/or implemented in ways that impair user control over:
* Material changes that affect their user experience, privacy, or system security;
* Use of their system resources, including what programs are installed on their computers; and/or
* Collection, use, and distribution of their personal or other sensitive information.
- From AntiSpywareCoalition.org
Malware, a blend of the words malicious and software, is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, and annoying software or program code. The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, including true viruses.
- From Wikipedia