It is very important to understand the difference between malware and viruses. A virus is just one type of malware, but the term is widely used by the public. Malware refers to any malicious software, including a computer virus. For example, between 2000 and 2005, spyware and adware emerged as a type of malware with which security systems had to deal with.

Do You Know The Differences Between Viruses?
Everyone who has a computer or has had contact with it knows that what computers are like, there are viruses. We love computers, we don't like viruses, viruses love computers, and that's why we've been fighting them from the beginning of Internet technology, and even before.

But hardly anyone knows that the word "virus" is only the tip of the iceberg. Because there are so many kinds of malware that it's broken down into categories and even subcategories.



Each virus - depending on its name, has a different task, needless to say, that each viral task is designed to cause damage or serious damage to our system.

Malware VS Virus: What’s the Difference?
Is malware the same as a virus? What is the difference between computer virus and malware?

When referring to the terms “malware” and “virus”, you may think they are the same thing. Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, they are not quite the same.

In summary, malware is the umbrella term while a virus is one type of malware.

In the following contents, you can know much information about the topic - malware vs virus.

Computer Virus
A virus is a specific type of malware and it is an infectious piece of code that can be put into files and folders of a website. And it spreads from one device to another through infected websites and files.

Like a biological virus infects its host, it can replicate itself and spreads.



Once your device is exposed to a virus, it can install on its own and run on the system without your knowledge.

And it can damage your programs and your hard drive, destroy or delete files. Sometimes the virus occupies much memory of the system and slows down the PC.

Even some complicated viruses hide on your PC and do some unwanted activities like spewing out spam.

Even if you are very careful when visiting the websites, perhaps your device has been infected with a virus.

Usually, it can be infected via some daily activities, for example, share files including pictures, music, and documents between computers, download free software, use portable media like USB drives that have been connected to an infected machine, open an infected email attachment, etc.



Once the computer is infected, it is troublesome to remove the virus. Although some antivirus programs can simply delete viruses, you need to recover data or a corrupted hard drive.

Some data cannot be retrieved once it is lost.

Malware
Malware is an umbrella term for any type of malicious software, regardless of how it works, how it is distributed, and what its intent is. Malware is made to cause damage to a website, stealing the website’s resources or infecting & harming the host system and its user.

If you are wondering about “is malware a virus”, the answer is no. All the viruses are malware but not all malware is a virus.



Malware can infect your device in several ways. Like a virus, it can spread via file share, free software download, email attachment, portable drive usage, etc.

It can bring many harmful effects, including slow device performance, corrupted programs and files, data loss, identity theft, credit card fraud, device not starting or shutting down, and more.

What Are the Common Types of Malware?
As mentioned above, the main difference between virus and malware is that malware is a catch-all term for all malicious software while a virus is a type of malware. And we have introduced a virus in detail.

Then, what are other types of malware?

Worms
A worm is a standalone program that can be replicated itself and designed to destroy a system. Unlike a virus, a worm looks for vulnerabilities in the infected computer and exploits them or disguise as a legitimate file via an email attachment to spread.

It can move through a server to destroy one website after another in a shared hosting environment.

Trojan
Trojan, also known as Trojan Horse, is an application that contains malicious codes. It can disguise as a legitimate file and function in a non-malicious way but the true intention is hidden until it is activated.

Trojan deceives and tricks you into running it willingly.



Once you install a Trojan malware, hackers can use it to delete, modify, or capture data, spy on your device, access your network, etc.

Ransomware
The most notorious malware is ransomware since it can lock your computer, letting you not access files and folders. Ransomware can also lock your website and prevent any site users from accessing it.

To re-gain the access privileges, you need to pay a ransom in bitcoins or other types of cryptocurrency by following the message offered by hackers on your computer screen.

You may have heard the famous ransomware called WanaCry that happened in May 2017 and infected more than 300,000 systems around the world.

Adware
Adware is another type of malware and it is designed to push ads to you to generate ad revenue. Usually, it appears on the websites without your knowledge.

Adware can slow down your computer. The terrible thing is ads can link to sites that contain malicious downloads.

Adware can deliver spyware and make the devices that have installed it become the targets of hackers.

Spyware
Spyware can collect your personal information, for example, user name, password, and surfing habits. It is a common threat and is usually distributed as freeware or shareware.

Spyware can transfer your data to advertisers or cybercriminals. Certain spyware can install other malicious programs that can change your settings.

Scareware
You may have encountered scareware that attempts to frighten you into buying unnecessary software or providing financial data via a pop-up saying your PC system is attacked by hackers.

Examples of Malware VS Virus
After knowing the information on virus vs malware in definition, now let’s see how they impact your computer and what the differences are.

There are many types of viruses and let’s see three common examples:

Viruses can go into executable files and spread via a network. It can infect your operating system and even format the drive.
Macro viruses use programs that support macros and usually appear as a zipped attachment or a word or excel document attached to a spam email.
A polymorphic virus can replicate and encrypt itself and modify its own code to evade the detection from an antivirus program.
All malicious software is malware including viruses and may have various goals but the common purposes are:

Steal your credit card data or other financial data
Trick you into offering personal data for identity theft
Infect the PC and demand a ransom payment
What to Do to Avoid Malware and Viruses?
Back up Your Computer
This is very important if you want to prevent your computer from viruses and malware. As you know, viruses or malicious programs always attack your computer, leading to data loss or system breakdown.

When the system crashes, sometimes you need to reinstall the operating system. This is troublesome. If you have created a system image, you can restore the system to a normal state quickly.



Besides, if files get lost, you can also use the backup to easily get them back.

To back up your computer, you can use the professional PC backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker. It is designed to back up Windows, files, folders, disks, and partitions.

So, it can satisfy your demands.

Apart from the mentioned method, there are more methods that you can use to deal with malware/ viruses issues.

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