spyware

noun

spy·​ware ˈspī-ˌwer 

: software that is installed in a computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's activities

Jan should scan her computer for viruses, worms, and spyware …

—Kenneth Baldauf and Ralph Stair

Smartphones belonging to more than three dozen journalists, human rights activists, and business executives have been infected with powerful spyware that an Israeli firm sells, purportedly to catch terrorists and criminals, The Washington Post and other publications reported.

—Dan Goodin

Examples of spyware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With Apple also warning iPhone users about spyware attacks, an infamous ransomware gang rising from the dead and claiming Feb. 3 as the next attack date, now is not the time to be cyber-complacent. —Davey Winder, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

This will search for hidden threats like spyware, ransomware, or keyloggers that could compromise your information further. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 14 Dec. 2024

Police in Serbia are using mobile device hacking tools to break into the phones of activists and journalists and then installing spyware to track them, Amnesty International warns in a report. —Umar Shakir, The Verge, 16 Dec. 2024

As a result, malware like Trojan downloaders, spyware, and ransomware has become a staple in phishing campaigns. —Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

spyware

noun

spy·​ware

ˈspī-ˌwer

: software that is installed in a computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's activities