Web Crime Glossary

Web Crime Glossary

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: December 5, 2008

Bot Short for robot, a simple program that runs automated tasks on command.

Botnet An army of bots connected via the Internet to perform arbitrary tasks such as automatically sending spam, transmitting more malware or disrupting Internet-based services.

Malware A contraction of “malicious software,” malware is a general term meant to include different types of harmful software.

Trojan A program that appears to be benign, like a Trojan horse, but in fact performs some malicious function. A typical trojan might be disguised as a computer game, but in fact be a keystroke-logging program intended to steal personal information.

Virus A program that can attach itself to a digital document or application in order to duplicate itself, often in copies sent to another computer. Computer viruses can be spread by e-mail, compact disks, or USB drives.

Worm A self-replicating program that can move from computer to computer via a network. Unlike viruses, worms do not need a host document or application, but propagate on their own.

Zombie A computer that has, unknown to its owner, been taken over to perform some malicious task, often as a member of a botnet.