“Malware” is short for “malicious software” - computer

programs designed to infiltrate and damage computers without

the users consent. “Malware” is the general term covering all the
different types of threats to your computer safety such as viruses,
spyware, worms, trojans, rootkits and so on.
The story of malware
Virus creators, or “virus writers”, started off writing viruses in
the early 1980’s. Until the late 1990’s most of the viruses were
just pranks made up in order to annoy users and to see how far a
virus could spread. The writers were often young programmers,
some still in their teens, who didn’t always understand the vast
consequences of their actions.
In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, virus writers and hackers
began to put their talents to more professional and sometimes
criminal use. The internet had become everyone’s tool for
information and businesses and banks were beginning to use it
for commerce and transactions. As practical as online shopping
and banking are, they also opened a world of opportunities for
economic exploitation of both corporations and the ordinary
computer user.
Today many experts believe the amount of malicious
software being released on the web might actually surpass the
release of valid software.
Different types of malware
The term malware includes viruses, worms, Trojan Horses,
rootkits, spyware, keyloggers and more. To get an overview of the
difference between all these types of threats and the way they
work, it makes sense to divide them into groups:
 Viruses and worms – the contagious threat
Viruses and worms are defined by their behaviour – malicious
software designed to spread without the user’s knowledge. A
virus infects legitimate software and when this software is used by
the computer owner it spreads the virus – so viruses need you to
act before they can spread. Computer worms, on the other hand,
spread without user action. Both viruses and worms can carry a
so-called “payload” – malicious code designed to do damage.
 Trojans and Rootkits – the masked threat
Trojans and rootkits are grouped together as they both seek to
conceal attacks on computers. Trojan Horses are malignant
pieces of software pretending to be benign applications. Users
therefore download them thinking they will get a useful piece of
software and instead end up with a malware infected computer.
Rootkits are different. They are a masking technique for malware,
but do not contain damaging software. Rootkit techniques were
invented by virus writers to conceal malware, so it could go
unnoticed by antivirus detection and removal programs.
Spyware and keyloggers – the financial threat
Spyware and keyloggers are malware used in malicious attacks
like identity theft, phishing and social engineering - threats
designed to steal money from unknowing computer users,
businesses and banks.
The latest security reports for the first quarter of 2011 put
Trojan infections at the top of the malware list, with more than
70% of all malicious files detected on computer systems, followed
by the traditional viruses and worms.