Mal (bad) -ware (software) is the name given to any piece of software that could cause harm to your computer or data on your computer. There are lots of different types of malware, these are some common ones:

Viruses

A virus is a piece of malware that is designed to spread across a network. The virus will remain dormant on a computer until it is executed, then it will spread to other programs on the computer and potentially to other devices.

Trojan Horse

In Greek Mythology the Greeks used a large wooden horse to infiltrate the walls of the city of Troy. During the war the Greeks gifted a huge wooden horse to the Trojans as a sign of peace and pretended to retreat. The Trojans accepted the gift and brought it in to passed the walls to the centre of the city. During the night, when the Trojans were asleep, Greek Soldiers crept out of the horse and took over the city.

Trojan Horse Malware operates on the same principle. Users may download a file thinking it is a free movie or game. When the file is executed, the malware carries out it’s objective.

Spyware

This software is designed to spy on users. This could take different formats, from a simple keylogger that tracks the keys strokes of the user or a screen recorder that captures a video of the users actions on the screen.

Adware

This software simply presents adverts on the users screen usually as pop-ups.