What is malware, how it works, and how to remove it?

Ruheni Mathenge  - Streaming Expert
Last updated: February 25, 2024
Read time: 14 minutes
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If your computer or any other device has a malware infection, this guide explains what it is, and how to get rid of the malware quickly.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Malware is an umbrella term referring to almost all sorts of malicious software, such as viruses, ransomware, botnets, and more. While today’s cybersecurity advancements have produced robust anti-malware solutions for all users, the ever-evolving nature of malware has made it a significant security problem for the cybersec community. Therefore, knowing about malware and how to deal with it is critical.

The term ‘malware’ refers to any malicious software designed to intentionally manipulate or interrupt a device’s normal functionality. These include viruses, ransomware, worms, spyware, Trojans, and adware. Unfortunately, they can infect any device with computing capabilities like your smartphone, PC, laptop, tablet, and servers.

Malware

The first malware to be developed was utterly harmless. However, the advancement of technology, computing, and software development has made malware more prevalent and sophisticated.

Read along to learn how malware works, how it gets into your computer, how to remove malware quickly, and much more.

What is the implication of malware?

Malware is meant to infect devices and networks to harm them or their users somehow. It can come in different ways depending on the type of malware and its goal. For instance, it can be a low-risk program arriving via ads, or something severe impersonating legit software to trick users.

Regardless of the method, all malware types benefit the hacker at the user’s expense and device. Cybercriminals use malware to render computers inoperable, steal passwords, and delete files. It can cause many issues that affect daily operations and the long-term security of users.

Types of malware