Unwanted Programs

In addition to malicious code, the e-commerce security environment is further challenged by potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) such as adware, browser parasites, spyware, and other applications that install themselves on a computer — such as rogue security software, toolbars, and PC diagnostic tools — typically without the user's informed consent. Such programs are increasingly found on social network and user-generated content sites where users are fooled into downloading them, and once installed are usually exceedingly difficult to remove.

Adware is typically used to call for pop-up ads to display when the user visits certain sites. While annoying, adware is not typically used for criminal activities. A browser parasite is a program that can monitor and change the settings of a user's browser, for instance changing the browser's home page or sending information about visited sites to a remote computer. Browser parasites are often a component of adware.

A well-known adware case is Superfish: Lenovo faced a barrage of criticism in early 2015 when it became known that, since September 2014, it had been shipping its Windows laptops with Superfish adware preinstalled. Superfish injected its own shopping results into the browser when the user searched on Google, Amazon, or other websites, and in the process created a security risk by enabling others on a Wi-Fi network to silently hijack the browser and collect anything typed into it.

Spyware, on the other hand, can be used to obtain information such as a user's keystrokes, copies of e-mail and instant messages, and even take screenshots — and thereby capture passwords or other confidential data. Spyware is more dangerous than adware because it directly captures sensitive information, making it a serious threat to e-commerce users who type passwords, payment details, and personal information into their browsers.