: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning
Examples of malware in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The malware strains include Vidar, Risepro, Redline, Raccoon Stealer, Lumma, and Metastealer.
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Michael Kan, PCMAG, 10 June 2024
Car systems don’t have built-in malware protections (yet), so this can be hard to spot.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024
Then there’s the wider risk of malware exposure as consumers in Iran often cannot purchase new software legally or even access legitimate app stores.
—Jon Gambrell and Nasser Karimi, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2024
Almost all of the tests involve detecting malware already present on a test system, either by simply recognizing the malware file or by detecting its malicious behavior.
—PCMAG, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for malware 
Michael Kan, PCMAG, 10 June 2024
Car systems don’t have built-in malware protections (yet), so this can be hard to spot.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024
Then there’s the wider risk of malware exposure as consumers in Iran often cannot purchase new software legally or even access legitimate app stores.
—Jon Gambrell and Nasser Karimi, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2024
Almost all of the tests involve detecting malware already present on a test system, either by simply recognizing the malware file or by detecting its malicious behavior.
—PCMAG, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for malware
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'malware.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Malware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malware. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
malware
noun
mal·ware
ˈmal-ˌwer 
: software that is designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning and that can be used to commit cybercrime (as by revealing passwords, PINs, and other sensitive data)
Etymology
mal- bad + software
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