Malware

Malware is a catch-all phrase that includes any kind of bad software

  • ex. malware can be used to install spyware on a host

A virus is a specific type of malware that requires user interaction to infect the user’s device

  • viruses are typically self-replicating. If you open an email attachment that inadvertently runs some malicious code, it will then send off more spam emails.

A worm is another type of malware, and differs from a virus in that it doesn’t require user interaction.

  • ex. User runs a vulnerable network app which the hacker can send malware to.

A Trojan horse is another type of malware, where the malware is hidden as a part of a useful piece of software

A Botnet is a network of infected ("mind controlled") hosts that can be used by a hacker to do malicious things, like send out spam email or launch DDOS attacks