Malware
Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the
owner's informed consent. It is a portmanteau of the words "malicious" and "software".
The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety
of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.
Some general stats can be found at VirusTotals Many
normal computer users however are still unfamiliar with the term, and most never
use it. Instead, "(computer) virus" is used in common parlance and often in the
general media to describe all kinds of malware. Another term that has been recently
coined for malware is badware, perhaps due to the anti-malware initiative
Stopbadware
or corruption of the term "malware".
Since the rise of widespread broadband Internet access, more malicious software
has been designed for a profit motive. For instance, since 2003, the majority of
widespread viruses and worms have been designed to take control of users' computers
for black-market exploitation.
What can be done?
Running an up to date OS, anti-virus with the latest definitions along
with a firewall is the first line of defense. User education and good computer usage
is the second line of defense.
What about removal?
Removing these nasties from an already infected, compromised system should be left
to professionals. You can't realize the extent of the damage with the current off
the shelf consumer products. The correct tools, skill and knowledge are nessacary
to successfully recover a compromised system and mitigate any damage that's already
been done.