What is Malware?



Malware Protection for your Secure Computing

Wondering 'What is malware?' Malware is short for malicious software.It includes viruses – programs that copy themselves without your permission – and spyware, programs installed without your consent to monitor or control your computer activity. Cyber criminals are hard at work thinking up creative ways to get malicious software on your computer. They create appealing web sites, desirable downloads, and compelling stories to lure you to links that will download malware, especially on computers that don't use adequate security software. Then, they use the the software to steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud.

Malicious software includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software.

The best-known types of malicious software, viruses and worms, are known for the manner in which they spread, rather than any other particular behavior. The term computer virus is used for a program which has infected some executable software and which causes that software, when run, to spread the virus to other executable software. Viruses may also contain a payload which performs other actions, often malicious. A worm, on the other hand, is a program which actively transmits itself over a network to infect other computers. It too may carry a payload.

Trojan horses is any program that invites the user to run it, concealing a harmful or malicious payload. The payload may take effect immediately and can lead to many undesirable effects, such as deleting the user's files or further installing malicious or undesirable software. Trojan horses known as droppers are used to start off a worm outbreak, by injecting the worm into users' local networks.

Techniques known as rootkits allow concealment of malware software, by modifying the host operating system so that the malicious software is hidden from the user. Rootkits can prevent a malicious process from being visible in the system's list of processes, or keep its files from being read.

A backdoor another malicious program is a method of bypassing normal authentication procedures. Once a system has been compromised by one of the above methods, or in some other way, one or more backdoors may be installed. Backdoors may also be installed prior to malicious software, to allow attackers entry.

Malicious software are produced frequently. Immediate removal is necessary for your protection. Visit the pages listed below for more information on anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall and anti-adware programs to delete malicious softwares.

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