Author: Hugh Duddy

Malware is still a relatively uncommon term, and is not familiar to many lay users of computer software. Essentially, the term refers to any kind of software that is created with the malicious intent of harming the host computer or carrying out unauthorized installations and procedures without the knowledge of the user.

Malware also refers to spyware and adware that conducts surreptitious operations on a computer. Malware is different from viruses, but they both share the common origin of being created with the specific intention of causing harm to the host computer. A legitimate program that you install which does not run properly because it has defects is not malware.

Malware programs are more frequent in installations that users perform themselves, such as peer to peer applications, than in installations from purchased software. Some of the most common ways in which malware installs itself on your computer is through Trojan horses and rootkits.

Trojan horses, as the term implies, are harmful installations which are hidden in seemingly innocuous installations. While running these installations seems harmless, what the user does not realize is that malware is also covertly installing itself at the same time.

Apart from installations, malware also needs to keep itself concealed so that is can continue to work on your computer, and this is where rootkits come in. Rootkits ensure that the malware installed on your computer remains undetectable, and that it does not show up in your list of system processes.

Advanced rootkits also fight any attempts to remove them. For example, a malware program may create simultaneous 'ghost' versions of itself, and whenever it detects that one of the 'ghosts' has been deactivated or deleted, the original program quickly defends itself by creating replacements for the deactivated or deleted files.

Some of the commonly known malware installations include Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom.

Another kind of unauthorized software that is similar to malware has been termed grayware. Unlike malware, grayware is not harmful, and usually stops at being merely annoying. Grayware includes advertisements on your computer that you have not authorized, and joke programs that serve to irritate the user rather than actually harm the computer.

These can be quite tedious in themselves and also are usually as difficult to get rid of as malware, and are therefore classified along with it.

In addition, such software can also compromise the security of your computer and make your system vulnerable to harmful installations. Grayware and malware can also get into your system through unauthorized codes from devices on your USB ports, and homogeneity in terms of access to your administrative network.

Since it is practically impossible to prevent malware from installing itself on your system, it is best to routinely check your system for malware by using an anti-malware system such as Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool. This program is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and can determine the nature of specific malware installations as well as assist you in removing them from your system.

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