Malware is a general term to describe software that is intended to cause harm to computers and people who use them.
Worms, viruses, backdoors, rootkits, Trojans and spyware are just some of the terms to describe malware.
It is evident from all these terms that they pose a threat to your everyday computing life, from being an annoyance to stopping your computer from running at all.
System glitches can bring important work to a halt.
Malware can delete your files, access your computer, or even steal your personal data.
So what can be done against all these? You can take some preventive measures.
One simple way is to check your machine for infection by using online anti-viral or anti-spyware scanners.
Most of these scanners perform comprehensive detection using current threat signatures.
Detected malware applications are listed, and upon finishing the scan you can decide what to do.
The best option, of course, is to delete the infected files.
Diligence in running these scans is necessary.
These need to be consistently done daily or weekly.
A more frequent scanning is recommended especially if you access internet banking services on a daily basis.
Setting the scan security to the highest possible level is also advised.
This will make scanning longer, but makes sure that as few viruses as possible are missed.
Keeping your anti-virus software's definition files up-to-date is also essential.
There are new Malware dangers everyday, but your risk of infection is minimized as long as you regularly scan and delete files.
Using these online resources you can avoid having to hire an expensive computer tech to come repair your malware problem.