What is Malware ?

Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Many normal computer users are however 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, though not all malware are viruses. The most costly form of malware in terms of time and money spent in recovery has been the broad category known as spy ware. Spy ware programs are commercially produced for the purpose of gathering information about computer users, showing them pop-up ads, or altering web-browser behavior for the financial benefit of the spy ware creator. For instance, some spy ware programs redirect search engine results to paid advertisements.