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Malware, short for malicious software, refers to programs that get installed on a computer or mobile device without the user’s consent. These programs can cause the device to crash or use resources in a way that goes against the user’s wishes. Common malware include viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware.

The first known virus was Elk Cloner, which spread on floppy disks to Apple II systems in 1982. Although this virus did not physically damage systems or software, it fit the malware meaning most people embrace today—unwanted intrusion.

Since the 1980s, hackers have developed and shared new strains of malware to exploit vulnerabilities. This constant evolution has made it difficult for cybersecurity professionals to keep up.

A variety of tools and technologies can help thwart cyber threats and detect malware infections. For example, security information and event management (SIEM) platforms can aggregate alerts from disparate security tools and flag anomalies that may indicate the presence of malware. Security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) solutions can also help by integrating and automating disparate security tools to speed up detection and response times.

Malware can be delivered by multiple channels, including email attachments, text messages, file-sharing applications, social media websites and network shares. It can also hide in seemingly benevolent programs like freeware, apps and pirated software to trick users into installing it. Once installed, a Trojan horse can send sensitive data back to the hacker or change system configurations and hijack core computer functions. Another type of malware is a rootkit, which creates a hidden backdoor on an infected device and can elevate privileges to avoid detection. Recent ransomware attacks, such as Ryuk and WannaCry, used rootkits to infect devices.