The terms Adaware and Spyware are usually coupled and even blended together. “What’s the difference between adaware and spyware?” people have asked me many times. “The difference between adware and spyware is actually very simple: Users have agreed to install the former on their computers. Spyware simply installs itself without your knowledge.” This article is amusing, the statistics are almost unbelievable, but the quotes are my favorite: “[I think] lightning had something to do with it.”