Malicious software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to systems and data.
Malware is an umbrella term for harmful software, including viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, and ransomware. It can steal data, encrypt files, spy on activity, or give an attacker remote control of a system.
Defenses include endpoint protection, patching, email and web filtering, least privilege, and user awareness, layered so that no single failure leads to compromise.