spyware
noun
spy·ware
| \ ˈspī-ˌwer
\
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Definition of spyware
: software that is installed in a computer without the user's knowledge and transmits information about the user's computer activities over the Internet
Examples of spyware in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Malware attack on iPhones disclosed Suspected nation-state hackers infected iPhones with spyware, researchers revealed Thursday, calling it the the worst general security failure yet affecting the Apple devices. — SFChronicle.com, "Malware attack on iPhones disclosed; Should we call it Hurricane Darth?," 30 Aug. 2019 The Android spyware particularly searches for any of 73,000 files, some related to Islamic extremism, some simply related to the Muslim faith in general, such as verses from the Quran. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "Security News This Week: China Distributes Spyware at Its Border and Beyond," 6 July 2019 Some citizens are trying to push back against the spyware. — Jane Li, Quartz, "How people in China are trying to evade Beijing’s digital surveillance," 6 Aug. 2019 The spyware was exposed on Tuesday by a group of publications, including Vice's Motherboard, The Guardian, the New York Times, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the German public broadcaster NDR. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "Security News This Week: China Distributes Spyware at Its Border and Beyond," 6 July 2019 WhatsApp, which is used by over 1.5 billion people, admitted earlier this year that users were unknowingly vulnerable to malicious spyware installed on smartphones. — Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY, "Report: How hackers can alter your WhatsApp files before the receiver opens the message," 15 July 2019 Making up random or absurd answers — which United discourages by the use of drop-down menus designed to thwart spyware that monitors keystrokes — only seems to make the recall problem worse, researchers found. — Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Online security questions have become a whale of a weird idea," 16 July 2019 Clicking on the link might expose a user’s computer to infection, hidden spyware or data theft. — Matt O'brien, The Seattle Times, "Microsoft’s anti-hacking efforts make it an internet cop," 21 Aug. 2018 The challenges tech companies face in identifying spyware that can be used maliciously Ristenpart et al. — Nicki Dell, Karen Levy, Damon Mccoy, Vox, "How domestic abusers use smartphones to spy on their partners," 21 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spyware.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for spyware
spyware
noun
English Language Learners Definition of spyware
: computer software that secretly records information about the way you use your computer
See the full definition for spyware in the English Language Learners Dictionary