According to the organization, "Badware" is any piece of malicious software that tracks users' moves online and then feeds that information back to shady marketing groups.The marketers sell that data and may use it to ambush people with pop-up ads. The info can also be used to drain bank accounts or carry out identity theft.Adware and spyware threats have become a paramount threat in the past two years," said Ken Dunham, director of the Rapid Response Team at VeriSign iDefense, a computer security research company

According to the reports filed on the newest entries in StopBadware's hall of infamy, Jessica Simpson Screensaver comes with more than a dozen pieces of software, including a 'dialer' which automatically, and without the user's permission, dials for-pay porn sites with a modem (if connected), and toolbars that modify the installer's browser.Olson said that consumers who want to download games, anti-spyware and screensaver applications should check with third party sources such as her organization to find out whether the software is Badware before installing the applications. The user may not know the name of the software that was installed, making it hard to uninstall it. And Badware can have components that reinstall applications even after they've apparently been removed."