Malware is a generic term for bad software.

The word malware comes from the words malicious and software.

Types of malware include:

• Computer viruses
• Computer worms
• Trojan horses
• Logic bombs
• Spyware
• Adware
• Spam
• Popups

Books on Malware

Malware: Fighting Malicious Code

Ignoring the threat of malware is one of the most reckless things you can do in today's increasingly hostile computing environment. Malware is malicious code planted on your computer, and it can give the attacker a truly alarming degree of control over your system, network, and data - without your knowledge! Written for both computer pros and experienced home users, Malware: Fighting Malicious Code covers everything you need to know about malware, and how to defeat it. Malware: Fighting Malicious Code devotes a full chapter to each type of malware-viruses, worms, malicious code delivered through Web browsers and e-mail clients, backdoors, Trojan horses, user-level RootKits, and kernel-level manipulation. You'll learn about the characteristics and methods of attack, evolutionary trends, and how to defend against each type of attack. Real-world examples of malware attacks help you translate thought into action, and a special defender's toolbox chapter shows how to build your own inexpensive code analysis lab to investigate new malware specimens on your own. The writers clear, engaging style makes the material approachable and enjoyable to learn. Malware: Fighting Malicious Code includes: Solutions and examples that cover both Unix and Windows Practical, time-tested, real-world actions you can take to secure your systems Instructions for building your own inexpensive malware code analysis lab so you can get familiar with attack and defensive tools harmlessly! Malware: Fighting Malicious Code is intended for system administrators, network personnel, security personnel, savvy home computer users, and anyone else interested in keeping their systems safe from attackers.