Malware (a portmanteau for malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network. Malware (malicious software) is a blanket term for all types of malware like viruses, worms, trojans and other harmful computer programs that hackers use to cause destruction or/and obtain access to sensitive information.
This is a functional definition, meaning that software is recognised as malware based on its intended use rather than the particular technique or technology used to build it.
On the other hand, software that causes unintentional harm due to some deficiency is usually described as a software bug or error.
- The most popular types of malware:
- computer viruses,
- worms,
- Trojan horses,
- ransomware,
- spyware,
- adware,
- rogue software,
- wiper and scareware.
If you want to learn more about malware read the article: Your website has been infected. What’s next?