Software with Malice
Andrew Martin · 2025
Abstract There is a broad range of software on the internet deliberately crafted to cause harm. We can usefully distinguish the vector by which this malware spreads—through human interactions, excess click-to-agree screens, plugging in unsafe devices, and so on—from the ‘payload’; the work it is intended to do. Often the payload is directly destructive, or encrypting of crucial content until a ransom is paid. Other payloads contain programs to undertake clandestine surveillance and data collection over an extended period. Because the methods operation can be diverse, the harmful effects of malware may be hard to detect until it is too late to remedy them. In the past, anti-malware programs attempted to detect and disable known pieces of malware; modern protections are increasingly dependent on making lists of which software is permitted to run, instead.