Tracking software
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tracking software is software that has the ability to record and track actions a person makes on a computer. One example is a cookie.
For example, if a user wants to check their email, tracking software will record it. The same concept can apply to chat, instant messages, web sites visited, keystrokes typed and so on.
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[edit] Who uses tracking software?
Because there are multiple categories for using tracking software, it can be too numerous to mention. However, the two primary types would be, parents that want to be certain their children are not involved with inappropriate web activity, and employers that need to track the activities that occur on workstations within their organization.
[edit] Controversy
Tracking software has been a source of controversy. While companies claim they they are used to protect children and enforce computer policies at workplaces, there has been strong criticism that this invades users' privacy. Other critics say that these software, especially with their keylogging capabilities, can be used for malicious purposes, such as identity theft and unauthorized access to other systems.
Often, one side of companies will sell tracking software, while another side would consider tracking software to be spyware and offer programs designed to remove them. There are hundreds of responsible vendors of computer monitoring software such as, ActMon, Spectorsoft, and countless others that explicitly forbid the use of monitoring software as spyware and many also support detection by anti-spyware programs.
