Malware

Overview

Also known as worm and virus, malware is an unwanted and malicious application or program. Malware can cause your computer to run slowly and can create a security threat by making your confidential information vulnerable.

Worms are the oldest forms of malware. Worms are self propagating computer applications. The most well known worm is the Morris Worm.
Viruses are other types of malware that require a host file like an image, document, or MP3 to propagate. Both worms and viruses can spread through e-mail attachments.
Spyware is also a kind of malware. These programs become integrated with your web browser. You may be unaware that you are installing spyware, or you may accidentally download spyware as a cookie when you use your web browser. Malware will create constant pop-up windows that show you advertisements. These pop-ups can slow down your Internet speeds and track your browsing habits and personal transactions.
Malware has been used for criminal activities and for sending online threats. Bots are responsible for malicious activities that can infect many systems at the same time. Bots can take down web servers and collect confidential and personal information.
Ransomware and crimeware are two additional kinds of malware. These programs can actually hold your computer files hostage in order to acquire sensitive information or enslave your machine completely. Ransomware and crimeware can be controlled by hackers or bots. One of the rarest forms of malware is Wabbits, which are similar to viruses. Wabbits self-replicate and infect files with the objective of destroying the computer.
Backdoors are similar to worms and Trojans in the sense that they allow hackers and malicious software to enter your computer. Backdoors use security system weaknesses to create a breach or opening.
Dialers are another type of malware that are designed to dial telephone numbers via your computer modem. Dialers can make expensive international calls or dial the hacker's computer and transmit data.

Benefits

Malware has no benefits. Software only benefits the creator whose sole objective is to create problems, steal information, and damage systems.

How It Works

There are different ways that malware can enter your computer system. Entry points include infected programs, infected files, infected e-mail attachments, and automatically downloaded cookies. After entering your system, malware behaves in a variety of ways. Trojans appear to be what they are not, and spyware secretly transmits information to hackers and scammers. Malware can go undetected for years.