What Is Malware and How Does It Affect My Computer?
Malware is software that is designed to infect and damage electronic devices such as cell phones, personal computers, tablets and smart televisions. This malicious software can steal sensitive data, spy on online activities, or even render devices unusable. Malware can also be used to extort money or cause service disruptions. It can be delivered through a variety of mechanisms including web pages, email attachments and phishing campaigns.
Malicious code can be written in a number of programming languages. As technology advanced in the 1990s and programming became more accessible to non-programmers, criminal groups began to form around writing malware. By the 2000s, malware development had become a highly organized and profitable illegal activity. Specialized cybercrime organizations with clear roles and responsibilities started to emerge.
Viruses, worms and Trojan horses are the most common types of malware. Viruses and worms spread by infecting files on systems and then copying themselves to other systems across the network. Once enough copies have been created, they begin to execute the malicious actions that they were designed to perform – such as corrupting, deleting or stealing data.
Other types of malware include spyware, ransomware and rootkits. Spyware is a type of malware that monitors a user’s device and activity without their knowledge, revealing sensitive information such as passwords, intellectual property or financial data. Ransomware encrypts files on infected devices and demands a payment to restore them. Rootkits hide in the operating system and give threat actors privileged access to a computer without detection.