Adware Is the Malware You Should Actually Worry About

When you think of malware, it's understandable if your mind first goes to elite hackers launching sophisticated dragnets. But unless you're being targeted by a nation-state or advanced crime syndicate, you're unlikely to encounter these ultra-technical threats yourself. Run-of-the-mill profit-generating malware, on the other hand, is rampant. And the type you're most likely to encounter is adware.

In your daily life you probably don't think much about adware, software that illicitly sneaks ads into your apps and browsers as a way of generating bogus revenue. Remember pop-up ads? It's like that, but with special software running on your device, instead of rogue web scripts, throwing up the ads. Advertisers often pay out based on impressions, or the number of people who load their ads. So scammers have realized that the more ads they can foist upon you, the more money they pocket.

Click here for the rest of the fascinating article from Wired.com