"Spyware Can Infect Your Phone or Computer via the Ads You See Online"

People leave digital traces of what they did, where they went, who they communicated with, what they purchased, what they are considering purchasing, and much more. This data serves as a library of information for personalized ads sent to users by a sophisticated network, a lightning-fast automated marketplace of advertisers, publishers, and ad brokers. The ad networks are designed to protect identities, but people can still be identified and tracked by combining different pieces of data. Spyware, which is malicious software installed on someone's phone or computer without their knowledge or consent, is even more intrusive. Spyware enables the user to view the contents of the target's device, including phone calls, text messages, emails, and voicemail. Certain forms of spyware can take control of a mobile device, including activating its microphone and camera. According to an investigative report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, an Israeli technology company known as Insanet has developed a way to deliver spyware via online ad networks, transforming some targeted ads into Trojan horses. This article continues to discuss spyware infection via online ad networks. 

The Conversation reports "Spyware Can Infect Your Phone or Computer via the Ads You See Online"

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