What is malware?

Malware is classed as any form of software that is designed to cause damage or harm to a computer network or server. Short for "malicious software", there are different types of malware including viruses, worms, Trojan Horses and spyware. These can redirect your searches, cause numerous annoying pop ups and generally slow down your computer to an unusable pace.

Viruses and worms

Background
Virus malware, known simply as viruses and worms, are one of the most common forms of malware. Viruses are spread through emails and Word documents, while worms spread throughout a computer network from one machine to another. Some viruses and worms can damage a computer's data and overall performance while others simply do nothing more than reproduce themselves. Avoidance
The best way to avoid getting viruses, is to install an anti-malware software such as virus scanners that scan all computer programs before they run and to shut down any file that looks suspicious. It is also good practice not to download any programs attached to an email from an unknown source.

Trojan horses

Trojan Horses enter a computer network or system by disguising themselves as something else, which is then installed by the user and downloaded onto their computer. They can cause a number of problems, from changing computer data to erasing hard drives. In addition to stealing passwords, credit card details and other private information. As with viruses, the best way to protect a computer from being infected with a Trojan Horse, is to make sure that it has malware protection installed acts as a virus scanner.

Spyware

Spyware software
As the name suggests, spy on computers sending private information to other users. Often, these programs operate within the toolbar, tracking what sites a user visits, what they buy, the types of software they have installed on their computer and other sensitive information such as passwords and bank details. This information is then processed and can result in spam, bulk advertising and other forms of online marketing. The poor quality of these spyware applications often causes computers to slow down substantially and can even damage the computer's hardware permanently. Protection
The best way to protect a computer from spyware, is to install a virus scanner which should be updated on a regular basis, in addition to using a firewall. In the case of malware, it is better to be safe than sorry.