Computer Virus:-

Virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer

without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also
replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that
can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce.
Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available
memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of
virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing
security systems.Since 1987, when a virus infected ARPANET, a large
network used by the Defense Department and many universities, many
antivirus programs have become available. These programs periodically
check your computer system for the best-known types of viruses.Some
people distinguish between general viruses and worms. A worm is a special
type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach
itself to other programs.

Spyware:-

Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's
Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising
purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component
of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the
Internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and
freeware applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware
monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the
background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-
mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.
Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unwittingly install the
product when they install something else. A common way to become a
victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products
that are available today.

Adware:-

Any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while

the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional
code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or
through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for
adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to
hold down the cost for the user.Adware has been criticized because it usually
includes code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to
third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This practice
has been dubbed spyware and has prompted an outcry from computer
security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information
Center

Trojan Horse:-

A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike

viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as
destructive. One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program
that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses
onto your computer.The term comes from the a Greek story of the Trojan
War, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the
Trojans, ostensibly as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse
inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow belly
and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture
Troy.

Computer Worm:-

A computer worm is a self-replicating computer program, similar to a

computer virus. A virus attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another
executable program; a worm is self-contained and does not need to be part
of another program to propagate itself.The name 'worm' was taken from The
Shockwave Rider, a 1970s science fiction novel by John Brunner.
Researchers writing an early paper on experiments in distributed computing
noted the similarities between their software and the program described by
Brunner and adopted the name.
The first worm to attract wide attention, the Morris worm, was written by
Robert Tappan Morris, Jr. at the MIT Artificial intelligence Laboratory. It was
released on November 2, 1988, and quickly infected a great many
computers on the Internet at the time. It propagated through a number of
bugs in BSD Unix and its derivatives. Morris himself was convicted under the
US Computer Crime and Abuse Act and received 3 years' probation,
community service and a fine in excess of ,000.
In addition to replication, a worm may be designed to do any number of
things, such as delete files on a host system or send documents via email.
More recent worms may be multi-headed and carry other executables as a
payload. However, even in the absence of such a payload, a worm can
wreak havoc just with the network traffic generated by its reproduction.
Mydoom, for example, caused a noticeable worldwide Internet slowdown at
the peak of its spread.
A common payload is for a worm to install a backdoor in the infected
computer, as was done by Sobig and Mydoom. These backdoors are used by
spam senders for sending junk email or to cloak their website's address.
BackdoorA program that allows a remote user to execute commands and
tasks on your computer without your permission. These types of programs
are typically used to launch attacks on other computers, distribute
copyrighted software or media, or hack other computers.

Dialer:-

A program that typically dials a premium rate number that has per minute
charges over and above the typical call charge. These calls are with the
intent of gaining access to pornographic material.

Hijackers:-
A program that attempts to hijack certain Internet functions like redirecting
your start page to the hijacker's own start page, redirecting search queries
to a undesired search engine, or replace search results from popular search
engines with their own information.