<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (July 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (July 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Malware, short for malicious software, is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of forms of harmful or intrusive software, including computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, scareware, and other malicious programs . It can take the form of executable code, scripts, active content, and other software . Malware is defined by its malicious intent, acting against the requirements of the computer user--and so does not include software that causes unintentional harm due to some deficiency . </P> <P> Programs supplied officially by companies can be considered malware if they secretly act against the interests of the computer user . An example is the Sony rootkit, a Trojan horse embedded into CDs sold by Sony, which silently installed and concealed itself on purchasers' computers with the intention of preventing illicit copying; it also reported on users' listening habits, and unintentionally created vulnerabilities that were exploited by unrelated malware . </P>

The generic term for a mode of malware infection is
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