Term: malware [malicious software]
Malware is short for malicious software.
Malware is a kind of catchall phrase that encompasses pretty much any kind of software that could cause harm to your data or your machine. It includes software such as viruses, spyware, adware, Trojans, worms, scareware, and more.
The term was probably developed by people (like me) who didn’t want to keep writing out “viruses and spyware and adware and …” when writing about current internet threats.
« Back to Glossary Index