Virus or Malware? Understand the Difference!

Most IT professionals have often heard phrases like “My computer has a virus!” or “My computer has Malware!”, especially when working in support. During these statements, a small doubt arises: what’s the correct way to refer to malicious software? The answer is “it depends”; the term virus is used because it’s easy for the general public to understand, whether due to media influence or in informal conversations.

And no, even though Malware sounds like it, it’s not necessarily the most technical way to refer to a spyware program.

First, we need to understand that Malware is the term that refers to any type of dangerous program that attacks computers. It’s a combination of two words, malicious and software (malicious software). Similarly, a virus is a type of Malware whose goal is to multiply across the network, behaving similarly to a real-life virus in the human body.

So Malware is the more generic term to categorize any type of unwanted program; therefore, it’s possible to say that every virus is a Malware, but not every Malware is a virus.

Does this mean there are more types of Malware?

Exactly, there are several other specific categories with unique characteristics, just like computer viruses, which also have subcategories. There can even be Malware that carries more than one specific characteristic, called “hybrid Malware.” That was the case with the “WannaCry” Ransomware, which in 2017 infected around 200,000 computers in 150 countries, clearly being a combination of a Ransomware and a Worm.

Curious about the other types of Malware? Stay tuned for upcoming posts to learn more.