ABSTRACT
Malware is a relatively new term in the security field. It was created to address the need to discuss software or programs that are intentionally designed to include functions for penetrating a system, breaking security policies, or carrying malicious or damaging payloads. Because this type of software has started to develop a bewildering variety of forms such as backdoors, data diddlers, DDoS, hoax warnings, logic bombs, pranks, RATs, Trojans, viruses, worms, zombies, etc., the term malware has come to be used for the collective class of malicious software. The term is, however, often used very loosely simply as a synonym for virus, in the same way that virus is often used simply as a description of any type of computer problem. This chapter attempts to define the problem more accurately and to describe the various types of malware.
