what is adware

Adware is a type of software that generates revenue for its developers by automatically generating online advertisements in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user. Adware is also known as advertising-supported software and is designed to throw advertisements up on your screen, most often within a web browser. Adware can be deployed to help software developers recover development costs or to reduce or eliminate the cost of software for users. However, some forms of adware are highly manipulative and create an open door for malicious programs. Adware can be installed on a users device via a security vulnerability or when users download an application with adware in it. Adware can also track a users search and browsing behavior and display personalized ads. Adware can take a variety of forms from display and banner ads to full-screen ads, videos, and pop-ups.