Differentiating computer viruses from malware software

Virus programs are a type of malware, but not all malware is a virus. The difference between the two terms is that a virus is a program and malware is a categorization of malicious software. All viruses and malware can be avoided with a good anti-virus software and firewall software to block intruder connections to your computer.

Malware is an all-encompassing category that includes viruses, adware, spyware, Trojans and other malicious software. Malware can be benign or it can lead to identity theft or lost data on your computer. Anti-virus software and firewall software help protect your computer from malicious software. Windows 7 and Vista have these two types of protection included with the operating system.

Viruses are a type of malware. Viruses infect your computer by installing software on it. Viruses are sent through email, posted on forums for you to download or installed on your computer from browsing a Web page. Anti-virus programs protect against viruses, but the software must be updated as often as possible to protect from newly created viruses.

Anti-virus software comes with Windows, but it can be turned off. Some people turn off the Windows anti-virus software to speed up the computer or avoid compatibility issues with other software. If you disable your anti-virus software, you must install a third-party application to avoid inadvertently installing viruses or other malware on your computer.