puters have ports for connecting modems, printers, mice,
and other peripheral devices.
In TCP/IP and UDP networks, an endpoint to a logical con-
nection. The port number identifies what type of port it is.
For example, port 80 is used for HTTP traffic.
Report file A file that lists actions that have occurred. BitDefender
maintains a report file listing the path scanned, the folders,
the number of archives and files scanned, how many infected
and suspicious files were found.
Script Another term for macro or batch file, a script is a list of
commands that can be executed without user interaction.
Spam Electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Generally
known as any unsolicited e-mail.
Spyware Any software that covertly gathers user information through
the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge,
usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are
typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or
shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Inter-
net; however, it should be noted that the majority of share-
ware and freeware applications do not come with spyware.
Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the
Internet and transmits that information in the background to
someone else. Spyware can also gather information about
e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card num-
bers.
Spyware's similarity to a Trojan horse is the fact that users
unwittingly install the product when they install something
else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to
download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that
are available today.
Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware
steals from the user by using the computer's memory re-
sources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information
back to the spyware's home base via the user's Internet
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Glossary
