A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly, but erroneously, used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have a reproductive ability.
Malware includes computer viruses, computer worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware and other malicious or unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself automatically to other computers through networks, while a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions. Worms and Trojan horses, like viruses, may harm a computer system's data or performance. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious or simply do nothing to call attention to themselves. Some viruses do nothing beyond reproducing themselves.
So why do People create Malware and Viruses
There are many reasons why people make virus/malware. Ill start with viruses.
Viruses are made to prove something such as a hole in Microsoft, a recongnition of the programmers skills "I was responsible for the...", to harvest sensitive information (passwords, ccard numbers and such) or to take over PCs to become part of a "botnet" which can be used for things like attacking webservers to bring them down.
As for malware, its usually made for financial purposes. With Adware you get ads popping up on your computer, they want you to click it and/or buy whatever is being advertised and the Malware maker gets a commission for it. It might be X amount per click, might be a percentage of the product cost.
Spyware is typically used to gain market information. For example, lets say you installed a Music downloading program to get MP3s and it has spyware in it. The spyware will keep track of what type of songs you download and what type of bands, send it back to base and now they have information like who is the most popular band and what genre is becoming more popular so a record company can sign more of that genre.
Viruses are made to prove something such as a hole in Microsoft, a recongnition of the programmers skills "I was responsible for the...", to harvest sensitive information (passwords, ccard numbers and such) or to take over PCs to become part of a "botnet" which can be used for things like attacking webservers to bring them down.
As for malware, its usually made for financial purposes. With Adware you get ads popping up on your computer, they want you to click it and/or buy whatever is being advertised and the Malware maker gets a commission for it. It might be X amount per click, might be a percentage of the product cost.
Spyware is typically used to gain market information. For example, lets say you installed a Music downloading program to get MP3s and it has spyware in it. The spyware will keep track of what type of songs you download and what type of bands, send it back to base and now they have information like who is the most popular band and what genre is becoming more popular so a record company can sign more of that genre.
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