Attack of the Malware

Malware, short for MALicious softWARE, is a computer program designed to gather information that leads to abusive behavior resulting in loss of privacy and  unauthorized access to systems.  Malware’s most common pathway from criminals to users is through the internet, mostly through the use of websites and through email.  Some people think of malware as another form of virus, and although it might be similar to the way they replicate I find them to be a lot more dangerous.

Malware is not the same as defective software, that is, software that has a legitimate purpose but contains harmful bugs. Sometimes, malware is disguised as genuine software, and may come from an official site. Therefore, some security programs, such as McAfee may call malware "potentially unwanted programs" or "PUP".

In Law, some U.S. states, including California and West Virginia know malware by the term computer contaminant.  According to F-Secure as much malware was produced in 2007 as in the previous 20 years altogether.

The frequency of malware as a vehicle for organized Internet crime, along with the general inability of traditional anti-malware protection platforms to protect against the continuous stream of unique and newly produced malware, has seen the adoption of a new mindset for businesses operating on the Internet. Microsoft reported in May 2011 that every one in 14 downloads from the Internet may now contain malware code, according to the Wall Street Journal. Social media, and Facebook in particular, is seeing a rise in new tactics for spreading harm to computers.

Most malwares are design to steal personal and or financial data so the hacker could perform fraudulent transactions for example Albert Gonzalez (not to be confused with the U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez) is accused of masterminding a ring to use malware to steal and sell more than 170 million credit card numbers in 2006 and 2007—the largest computer fraud in history. Among the firms targeted were BJ's Wholesale Club, TJX, DSW Shoes, OfficeMax, Barnes & Noble, Boston Market, Sports Authority and Forever 21.