What is malware?

Malware (also: malicious software) is software program that is designed to either do harm to a computer, operating system or hardware, or to steal confidential information stored or being worked on a computer.

Malware is a general term that comprises all known types of malicious software, including but not limited to: viruses, spyware, worms, rootkits, bots, keyloggers, Trojan horses, back door and other.