What are Drive-by Downloads?

There are 2 types of Drive-by downloads, each concerning the unintended download of computer software from the Internet:

• Authorized drive-by downloads are downloads which a person has authorized but without understanding the consequences (e.g. downloads which install an unknown or counterfeit executable program, ActiveX component, or Java applet).

• Unauthorized drive-by downloads are downloads which happen without a person’s knowledge, often a computer virus, spyware, malware, or crimeware.