The Sony BMG rootkit was intended to prevent illicit copying but also reported on users' listening habits, and unintentionally created extra security vulnerabilities. They can also be hidden and packaged together with unrelated user-installed software. Spyware programs do not spread like viruses instead they are generally installed by exploiting security holes. Programs designed to monitor users' web browsing, display unsolicited advertisements, or redirect affiliate marketing revenues are called spyware. Infected " zombie computers" can be used to send email spam, to host contraband data such as child pornography, or to engage in distributed denial-of-service attacks as a form of extortion. Since 2003, the majority of widespread viruses and worms have been designed to take control of users' computers for illicit purposes.
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Since the rise of widespread broadband Internet access, malicious software has more frequently been designed for profit. However, malware can be used against individuals to gain information such as personal identification numbers or details, bank or credit card numbers, and passwords. Malware is sometimes used broadly against government or corporate websites to gather guarded information, or to disrupt their operation in general. Today, malware is used by both black hat hackers and governments, to steal personal, financial, or business information. Many early infectious programs, including the first Internet Worm, were written as experiments or pranks. Ī range of antivirus software, firewalls and other strategies are used to help protect against the introduction of malware, to help detect it if it is already present, and to recover from malware-associated malicious activity and attacks. For example, at one point Sony music Compact discs silently installed a rootkit on purchasers' computers with the intention of preventing illicit copying, but which also reported on users' listening habits, and unintentionally created extra security vulnerabilities. Programs are also considered malware if they secretly act against the interests of the computer user. A wide variety of malware types exist, including computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, wiper and scareware. By contrast, software that causes unintentional harm due to some deficiency is typically described as a software bug.
Malware (a portmanteau for malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network.
Hex dump of the Blaster worm, showing a message left for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates by the worm's programmer
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