Understanding Malware and Virus Removal Terminology

Malware and virus removal can be a complicated subject with a lot of terminologies that someone who has not studied computer security will generally not understand. This post will help you understand some of the terminology used when talking about malware and virus removal.

The term malware means malicious software; the term is a catch-all term that refers to many different types of malicious computer infections. A virus is a kind of malware and is a malicious program that is hidden inside of another program. A virus goes from file to file infecting many programs like a human virus goes from cell to cell.

A worm is a type of malware that replicates itself. Worms need no one to open files or perform any actions for their spread. A computer worm is a program that stands by itself while a virus infects another program. A rootkit is a set of computer software that allows unauthorized access to computer systems. A rootkit could be installed remotely on a machine and allow the unauthorized person access to your computer system. The administrator’s access to your computer is called root. Root has a similar meaning to the administrator.

Another type of malware is a Trojan horse. A Trojan horse pretends to be a valuable or wanted program or media file. When you try to use the program or media file that you think you downloaded, you will end up obtaining some sort of malware.

A different sort of malware than the mostly file destructive type of programs above is spyware. Spyware operates by gaining information on you and your computer for malicious purposes. One of the ways that spyware works is through a keylogger.  A keylogger works by recording your typing and program usage and transferring that information to someone else to use. Spyware can be even more dangerous than other types of malware as it can be used to steal valuable personal and financial information. If you have concerns for you PC regarding malware or virus removal please contact us.