What is Malware?

So what is Malware? Short for malicious software, malware is as old as software itself, and  programmers have been authoring it for as long as they have been authoring legitimate software. There are many reasons why a programmer might create malware. These reasons vary from simple pranks and experiments to serious organized Internet crime. Malware exists in many forms, most of which you’ve probably already heard of. The most common types of malware are viruses, trojans, worms, spyware and zombies.

This article will cover the inner workings of the most common types of malware, and will also explain why malware is created and the kind of damage that it can inflict on individuals, corporations and governments.

malware

 
 
 
  
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(mal´wãr) (n.) Short for malicious software, malware refers to software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus or a Trojan horse.