malware

Also known as badware, malicious software

Malware (a portmanteau of malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. Researchers tend to classify malware into one or more sub-types (i.e. computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, logic bombs, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, wipers and keyloggers).

AI overview

Malware is software intentionally designed to harm computers or networks by disrupting them, stealing private information, gaining unauthorized access, or blocking access to data. It matters because it poses a significant threat to computer security and privacy, and comes in many forms—including viruses, worms, ransomware, and spyware—each with different ways of causing damage.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Commons category: Malware

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~31 min read

Article

33 sections

Contents

History
Purposes
Types
Malware
Virus
Worm
Rootkits
Backdoors
Trojan horse
Droppers
Ransomware
Click fraud
Grayware
Potentially unwanted program
Adware
Spyware
Detection
Risks
Vulnerable software
Excessive privileges
Weak passwords
Use of the same operating system
Mitigation
Antivirus / Anti-malware software
Real-time protection
Sandboxing
Website security scans
Network Segregation
"Air gap" isolation or "parallel network"
Research
See also
References
External links

Malware poses serious problems to individuals and businesses on the Internet. According to Symantec's 2018 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), malware variants number has increased to 669,947,865 in 2017, which is twice as many malware variants as in 2016. Cybercrime, which includes malware attacks as well as other crimes committed by computer, was predicted to cost the world economy US$6 trillion in 2021, and is increasing at a rate of 15% per year. Since 2021, malware has been designed to target computer systems that run critical infrastructure such as the electricity distribution network.