Understanding Phishing, Spy Sites, and Spyware

When ZoneAlarm browser security is on, it detects and warns you about known phishing and spy sites.

Phishing sites are fraudulent versions of legitimate sites, created to acquire your personal data in order to steal from you. Phishing is accomplished by sending email or instant messages that masquerade as being from trustworthy sources, such as your bank. These messages have a link to the phishing Web site, which looks just like a Web site you trust. You are instructed to enter your personal information at the phishing site, and this is how your information is stolen.

Spy sites are sites that trick you into downloading software that includes spyware. Spyware is software that is installed secretly to spy on, or even take partial control over, your computer. The typical motive is theft, including identity theft. In addition to collecting personal information and sending it outside your computer, spyware can also interfere in other ways, such as installing additional programs or monitoring Web-browsing activity for marketing purposes, or redirecting your browser to advertising sites. Spyware can also (unintentionally) affect the performance and speed of your PC. Stability issues, such as application or computer crashes, are common. Spyware that interferes with networking software commonly causes difficulty connecting to the Internet.