R - Z

Resources
Referrer masking
Prevents web servers from recording the true HTTP referrer and maintaining accurate web logs. Software applications and web-based systems that mask referrers either blank the referrer header or replace it with inaccurate data. Referrer masking enables publishers to hide clicks coming from their websites.
ROI (abbr. Return On Investment)
The ratio of the amount of money netted through an advertising investment (through conversions, for instance) to the cost of that advertising investment. ROI reveals the value a business reaps in return for the cost of an advertising campaign. The equation to calculate ROI is: (Revenue - Cost) / Cost. For instance, if an online bookstore invests $1,000 in its ad campaign for one month and sells 250 books, at a price of $10 each, its monthly revenue from the campaign is $2,500. In turn, its ROI is ($2,500 - $1,000) / $1,000 or 150%. Unfortunately, ROI calculations can be misleading in the presence of fraudulent clicks. For instance, say the bookstore is a victim of click fraud, and $100 of its $1,000 advertising investment is lost as a result. If the ad network or search engine fails to identify the fraudulent clicks, the bookstore’s ROI calculations will be off. However, if the network does identify and filter or refund the fraudulent clicks, the bookstore’s advertising cost will only be $900, and its ROI will be ($2,500 - $900) / $900 or 178%. By identifying and removing click fraud, ad networks and search engine can save advertisers money while helping them achieve a higher return on their investments.
Rootkit
A form of malware composed of one or more programs designed to hide the presence of other forms of malware, such as Trojans and viruses, from both users and antivirus solutions. Rootkits subvert or evade standard operating system security mechanisms by either modifying paths or modifying system structures. They may modify parts of the operating system or install themselves as kernel modules or drivers, depending on the operating system. Rootkits exist for several operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
Traffic quality
A measure of the value of a click or impression along a continuous spectrum of good and bad. Some clicks and impressions are “good” because they have a high likelihood of conversion and are thus valuable to the advertiser. For instance, if an individual purchases many books online, any click he/she makes on book-related ads has real value to the advertiser because the individual has demonstrated his/her propensity to purchase books online. Similarly, some clicks and impressions may be considered “poor” because they have a low likelihood of conversion and provide minimal value to the advertiser. If a user has a strong aversion to making purchases online, his/her clicks are unlikely to result in a purchase, and are therefore less valuable to the advertiser. Finally, some clicks and impressions are the result of click fraud because the user has no intention of converting, thus giving the advertiser no chance of reaping a return on their investment in that click or impression. This can occur when an advertiser attempts to drain a competitor’s advertising budget, or when a publisher attempts to inflate the revenue his/her site earns through hosting ads.
Trojan horse
A trick that causes a mark to invite a foe into a secure place. Online, a Trojan horse is a form of malware that seems to perform a desirable function but, once installed on a computer, gives cyber-criminals unauthorized access to that computer. A computer worm or a virus can be a Trojan horse. Trojan horses can be used to assimilate computers into botnets in order to perpetrate click fraud.
Virus
A computer program that infects a computer and self-replicates without the consent or knowledge of the computer’s owner. Many current viruses are the result of old threats, like rootkits, that have been recycled or reinvented. Unlike a worm, a virus can only spread from computer to computer when its host is delivered as executable code to the target computer online or through a removable connection medium like a USB drive. Viruses can be used and spread to create a network of zombie computers known as botnets.
Zombie
A computer that has been compromised by a hacker, worm, backdoor, Trojan horse, virus, or other such form of malware, unbeknownst to the owner. Zombie computers often comprise a botnet, and are leveraged to wage distributed denial of service attacks, propagate spam, log keystrokes, and perpetrate click fraud.

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