The word ‘Malware’ is actually a combination of the words ‘Malicious’ and ‘Software’. It is developed to hamper normal computer operation, collect privacy violating information, gain illegal access to system resources and do other harmful operations. Generally, malware consists of a wide range of malicious software such as Trojans, viruses, worms, spyware, rootkits, botnets, adware, etc. By nature, malware is intrusive and belligerent. Sometimes it works secretly like Rootkit does and other times it works overtly as fake system alerts. A common misperception is that buggy software and malware are the same thing. But this is not true. Although both have harmful effects, faulty software is actually legal software with less harmful bugs, while Malware is illegitimate software with serious dangerous results. Network support is required to remove both faulty software and malware.

Brief history of malware
The first infamous malware was Internet Worm, which started damaging VAX BSD and SUN operating systems as early as 1988. Before the Internet became popular, malware used to spread on computers by corrupting the boot sector of floppy disks. But this Internet worm used loopholes in the network server program and started running as a separate process. When Microsoft Windows became the most widely used operating system in the early 1990s, its application macros were used to develop malware. Today, most malware is developed to corrupt the Windows operating system, although few malware such as Lionware and Mare D are designed to infect Linux and Unix. Users need not worry about this as many PC support providers are proposing solutions for these new emerging malware.

Harmful effects of malware
Malware performs many dangerous activities on computers, including password stealing, email advertising, pop-up advertising, identity theft, etc. And that is not the end. New malware with new malicious features emerges every day. However, the most common pernicious effects are:-
1. Slow down or crash computers.
2. Spam inbox with marketing emails
3. Keystroke logging
4. Identity theft
5. Password theft
6. Flood the browser with pop-up ads
7. Directing the user to an advertising website
8. Using the computer as a disguised server to transmit obscene files.

Some of the effects of Malware can be quite disastrous, so network support should be sought.

types of malware
According to the latest study, there are 12 types of Malware and each of them has many subtypes.
1. Adware: This malware displays advertisements on the computer.
2. Keylogger: Records the user’s keystrokes. By doing this, it captures secret information such as IDs and passwords.
3. Rootkit – Installed by crackers, this type of Malware masquerades as a core system process to avoid detection. Therefore, it is very difficult to diagnose Rootkit. Formatting the hard drive is an option, but PC support provider’s advice should be followed before that.
4. Trojan – Corrupts sensitive information storage on the computer as well as system resources.
5. Viruses: It can duplicate itself and spread from one computer to another.
6. Wabbits: Like viruses, it replicates but does not spread from one machine to another. Instead, it damages the machine, in which it is present.
7. Worm: It is similar to viruses. The only difference is that, unlike viruses, it does not insert itself into a program or file.
8. Spyware: Follows the user’s browsing habits to display advertising.
9. Exploits: Attack security systems.
10. Dialers: Dial phone numbers through the computer’s modem.
11. BackDoors – Provides network connections to hackers.
12. URL Injectors – It targets some particular URLs when the user tries to visit certain URLs.

Network support for malware
There are several ways to deal with Malware, such as keeping your operating system and software up to date, updating anti Malware software, using firewalls, etc. To do all these things, it is always advisable to enlist the help of PC support providers. Since new malware keeps coming all the time, it is very difficult for a normal user to keep track of the latest developments. Therefore, network support to solve Malware problems could be of great help. Today, many PC support providers are coming up with state-of-the-art malware solutions.