MALWARE

The word malware comes from the words "malicious software." It is an umbrella term for any piece of software, script or code designed by its creators to perform specific routines or have specific behaviors that have undesirable results for the affected users of a computer system or a network. These undesirable results include anything from annoying popup ads or messages, disruption of normal computer operations, to the exposure of personal or confidential data.

Malware encompasses computer viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, backdoors, and other malicious software. Historically, the first forms of malware were created as pranks, experiments, or for amusement. These early malware often got out of control. For instance, the Melissa worm caused severe clogging in email servers in 2000, and the Slammer worm slowed down Internet traffic in 2003.

However, as the public enjoyed broader Internet access, different kinds of malware were designed increasingly to generate profit. The cybercriminal underground, a thriving ecosystem of spammers, malware creators, botnet masters and other cybercriminal players, use malware as key tools to take control of computers remotely or to perform other activities like logging user keystrokes, downloading or dropping other malware.

Different threat actors have also been making use of malware as tools to enter organizations’ or corporations’ networks in highly targeted attacks, often called advanced persistent threats (APTs). Advanced persistent threats do not pertain to the malware used in an attack but to the campaigns staged by attackers to get inside target networks to exfiltrate information or perform sabotage.

Malware can be designed for any computer system, and thus any device like smartphones, tablets or even programmable logic controllers in industrial plants, can be affected. Cybercriminals create malware mostly for profit, as part of a thriving digital underground economy.