Which statement correctly differentiates spyware from adware?

Which statement correctly differentiates spyware from adware?

• A. Spyware is harmless and adware reports user information.
• B. Adware is more intrusive than spyware and steals personal data.
• C. Spyware reports information to external sources, while adware displays pop-up ads.
• D. Both always replicate themselves.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is understanding how spyware and adware operate differently in handling user data. Spyware is designed to secretly monitor what you do on your device and transmit that information to external parties, often without your knowledge. Adware, by contrast, is software that mainly displays advertising content—pop-ups or banners—to generate revenue for the publisher, and it isn’t primarily about secretly sending your data elsewhere. So, describing spyware as reporting information to external sources while adware simply displays pop-up ads best captures the real distinction between them. The other notions—labeling spyware as harmless, claiming adware is the one that steals personal data, or saying both always replicate themselves—mischaracterize what spyware and adware typically do and aren’t accurate descriptions of their behavior.

The main idea here is understanding how spyware and adware operate differently in handling user data. Spyware is designed to secretly monitor what you do on your device and transmit that information to external parties, often without your knowledge. Adware, by contrast, is software that mainly displays advertising content—pop-ups or banners—to generate revenue for the publisher, and it isn’t primarily about secretly sending your data elsewhere.

So, describing spyware as reporting information to external sources while adware simply displays pop-up ads best captures the real distinction between them. The other notions—labeling spyware as harmless, claiming adware is the one that steals personal data, or saying both always replicate themselves—mischaracterize what spyware and adware typically do and aren’t accurate descriptions of their behavior.