What is malware and why should you care about it

Malware is a shortened form of malicious software. Sometimes it is referred to as badware. In legal documents, it is known as computer contamination. If you ever come up with malware, beware of it!

Source: Pixabay

What is malware?

Malware is created with malicious intent, of course. The malicious intent is often theft of someone's identity or private information. This is done without the permission of the owner. So the software that does anything without your permissions, then that can be considered as malware.

What is common malware?

Malware can be in many forms such as:

• Virus: Malware that infects the programs and sometimes even the personal information without the consent of the user.
• Spyware: Malware that collects the personal information of the owner.
• Trojan Horse: Malware that looks and functions like a legitimate program but steals information in the background.
• Worm: Malware that can replicate itself on the PC or network of PCs.
• Rootkit: Malware that gains administrative rights for malicious operations.

There are other types of programs, or parts of programs, that could be considered malicious due to the simple fact that they carry a malicious agenda, but the ones listed above are very common.

How does malware infection occur?

Malware can attack your computer or smartphone in a number of ways. It generally happens when you accidentally install unwanted apps that act as malware. These often look like the software that you wanted to download but they may act as trojan horses. Some malware can get into your computer by using the vulnerabilities of the operating system and software programs. Outdated operating systems are a common target. Often you may get spam emails which on opening can download malware into your device.

How to remove malware?

Most common type of malware are actually programs that you use every day. Those programs can be uninstalled from Control Panel, at least in Windows OS. Other malware which can get very complex and don't get uninstalled easily can be removed using antimalware tools and similar programs. You may want to do a complete scan for malware with your antivirus software.

How to protect yourself from malware infection?

The smartest way is to prevent the malware from infecting your PC in the first place. The most common way to infection of malware is to have an updated antivirus/antimalware. Don't click on spam and other emails from unknown organizations or people you can't trust. Spam emails are actually one of the most common ways to spread malware. Also, make sure you update your operating system and antivirus regularly. Don't let any vulnerability stay on your device.