ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a basic understanding of malware, including the most common forms of malware that are active in the wild. It also provides descriptions of each form without going into overly technical explorations of their functionality. The chapter focuses primarily on computer systems and their users, scholars and security experts also warn about the vulnerabilities of smart phones, particularly Android operating systems, and personal digital assistants. It considers the legal and computer security entities operating to protect users from malware threats. The chapter explores the most common forms of malware and differentiates them based on their unique features and utility in an attack. Malware can serve a countless number of different functions, but are generally designed to automate attacks against systems and simplify the process of hacking overall. The most common forms of malware include computer viruses, worms, and trojan horse programs that alter functions within computer programs and files.
