The 10 faces of computer malware

The complexity of today's IT environment makes it easy for computer malware to exist, even flourish. Being informed about what's out there is a good first step to avoid problems.

With all the different terms, definitions, and terminology, trying to figure out what's what when it comes to computer malware can be difficult. To start things off, let's define some key terms that will be used throughout the article:

a.. Malware: Is malicious software that's specifically developed to infiltrate or cause damage to computer systems without the owners knowing or their permission.
a.. Malcode: Is malicious programming code that's introduced during the development stage of a software application and is commonly referred to as the malware's payload.
a.. Anti-malware: Includes any program that combats malware, whether it's real-time protection or detection and removal of existing malware. Anti-virus, anti-spyware applications and malware scanners are examples of anti-malware.
One important thing to remember about malware is that like its biological counterpart the number one goal is reproduction. Causing damage to a computer system, destroying data, or stealing sensitive information are all secondary objectives.

Keeping the above definitions in mind, let's take a look at 10 different types of malware.

1: The infamous computer virus

to be continued.............