ITPEC IP April 2023 Question 40

Malware — the general name for software written to do harm, keyloggers and worms included.

Malware (malicious software) covers every program made to damage systems or steal information: viruses that attach themselves to other files, worms that copy themselves across networks, Trojan horses disguised as useful software, spyware and keyloggers that collect information, ransomware that encrypts files for a ransom, and bots controlled from outside.

Answer (c)

Why not others:

• •(a) Shareware — software that may be tried free and is paid for if kept in use; a way of distributing, not a kind of harm
• •(b) Firmware — software built into a device's ROM or flash memory to control its hardware, such as a BIOS
• •(d) Middleware — software between the OS and applications that supplies common functions, such as a DBMS

Key rule: Malware is the umbrella term; viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and ransomware are kinds of it, told apart by how they spread and what they do.

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