Short for “malicious software,” malware refers to software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer system. In Spanish, “mal” is a prefix that means “bad,” making the term “badware,” which is a good way to remember it (even if you’re not Spanish). Common examples of malware include viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware. You can install anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities on your computer that will seek and destroy the malicious programs they find on your computer.
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