Answers - Malware
Malicious computer software that interferes...
http://www.answers.com/topic/malware
Spyware - Wikipedia
A type of malware that is installed on computers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware
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Useful Information on Malicious Software:
What is malware?
Malware, which is an abbreviated form that means malicious software, is a kind of software that has been created for the sole purpose of damaging computer systems. The term Malware is used by experts in the field to describe software that will infiltrate a computer with hostile intentions. This infiltration from malicious software is done through programming code that was designed to do this without the computer owner's knowledge. If you have heard the term 'computer virus' before, this malicious software is exactly this. It is a program that will damage your computer much like any virus harms the host of the virus.
What defines software as being malicious software is based on the intention behind the software. If the program software includes viruses known as worms, trojan horses, or spyware, then it fits the profile. Another term that you will find in the legal system is 'computer contaminent', which is the legal term for malicious software.
Sometimes people confuse malware with defective software. The difference with defective software is that the intention of the creator of defective software is that they tried to make a program with a positive intention behind it, but because of various bugs in the program, it didn't work well. This is not the same as malicious software, where the intention is to create a program that destroys and is harmful to your computer's productivity.
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