Spyware vs Spam: Difference and Comparison

In the present, we are surrounded by the internet and devices to access the internet.

But with the spread of the internet comes the spread of viruses and malware that destroys the performance of the device as well as cause harm to the user.

These malicious elements need to be removed with the help of several anti-virus software.

Key Takeaways

1. Spyware is malware installed on a device without the user’s consent and collects personal information, while spam is unwanted and unsolicited emails or messages.
2. Spyware can cause serious harm to the user’s privacy and security, while spam is mostly an annoyance and can be easily ignored or deleted.
3. Various anti-virus and anti-spam software is available to protect against spyware and spam.

Spyware vs Spam

Spyware is a type of malware that can collect personal information or control system functions. Spam is unsolicited commercial or promotional messages that can lead to harm if they contain malicious links or attachments. Spyware is software, while spam deals with unsolicited messages.

Spyware is malware that spies on you by reading your browsing history and location. However, it can not damage your data.

It needs to be installed in your device to work, and its presence is not recognisable easily. To prevent spyware, you need anti-spyware.

When you receive unsolicited emails in your inbox in bulk, that is called spam.

This spam can contain attachments that will include viruses and other malware. You need to utilise Spam Blockers and Anti Spam Software to prevent spam from reaching your device.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Spyware	Spam
Definition	Spyware is malicious software that spies on you if it gets installed on your device without your awareness.	Spam is emails that come in bulk. These are unwanted and can contain spyware or viruses.
Form	It is software and affects your device when installed.	It comes in the form of an email.
Function	It tracks the user’s activities and gathers data related to that person.	It contains viruses so it can delete valuable files and folders and slow down the device and interrupt internet access.
Solution	These malicious elements can be removed only by an anti-spyware program.	It can be stopped with the use of Spam Blockers and Anti Spam Software.
Identification	One can not identify spyware.	One can identify spam as it will come as an email.

What is Spyware?

Spyware, as its name implies, is software that spies on you and your device. If your device has been injected with spyware, then it will keep track of your activities.

All your information and data present in that device will be under the control of that spyware. 

Spyware gets installed in your device without your knowledge, and it is not apparent too when it is installed into the device of your use. However, there are few signs.

If you notice an unnatural hike in your data usage and notice your battery is draining like never before, then that might be an alert of your device holding spyware. The speed of the network will also slow down a lot. 

Spyware like malware is a threat to data security. It will have access to your browsing history, location and it is even able to read call history. On many websites, we come across cookies. 

These cookies work in the same way. They monitor our online activities and channelise advertisements accordingly. This is a strategy undertaken by marketing campaigns to reach the targeted audience.

What is Spam?

Spam reaches your email account in bulk, and it is utterly annoying. It not only reaches your device but also brings attachments in your inbox that contain viruses.

If you somehow click on these, they can damage your database and delete your data. The performance of the device also slows down, and accessing the internet becomes very frustrating for the decreased speed.

In the mail, it can also come as a clickbait that will offer you money or other impressive offers, so you click on it and suffer the consequences. By clicking the links of it, you will give entry to several types of malware.

Spam is a tool used by scammers. Spam can take you to fake websites, and if you enter your personal information there, then it can use it for unfair means. These scams through spam are called phishing.

Main Differences Between Spyware and Spam

1. Spyware gets categorised as malicious software that spies on you when installed on your device, while spam is emails that come to your inbox in bulk. These emails are completely undesired, and they can bear spyware or viruses that will affect your device.
2. Spyware is software that gets installed on your device without your permission or awareness, and it gathers all your data and track. On the other hand, spam comes to your device as an email.
3. You can not know if your device has spyware or not. But as spam comes to the inbox in bulk, one can identify when they see it.
4. Spyware will track all the activities and data of the user, but spam can not track you. Rather, it destroys valuable files and folders and impedes internet access. Your system might become slow too.
5. To fight malicious spyware, you need to install an antispyware program, while to block spam emails, you need to get Anti Spam Software and Spam Blockers.

References

1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1637380/
2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0SF1yPTb1d0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=spyware+and+spam&ots=pjf_Y1Gotc&sig=159iGh9anpRQDjd-r0ddsJ1z-GY

Last Updated : 14 July, 2023