What is Malware?

Malware

Harmful software is also referred to as "malicious software." "Malicious" means "intending to cause harm" and comes from the Latin word "malus," which means "bad." The term "malicious software" has also been shortened to the term "malware." One can define "malware" as "software that is bad or causes harm."

In earlier times, the only way to give a computer a virus, was by inserting an infected floppy disk into your computer. Today, with much more advanced technology, almost every computer is interconnected to the rest of the world, one way or the other. On top of all this, advancement in software and computers have also opened the door to new types of malware.

With these advancements in harmful or dangerous software, the term "malware" has come to mean all types of software or programs that are used to harm you or your computer.

Next we will look into some of the other types of viruses and malware that are used to attack your computer:

Spyware
Adware
Trojan Horses
Viruses
Email Viruses
Macro Viruses