Malware or malicious software is used by criminals and hackers to take control of a computer for such purposes as stealing sensitive information, interfering with the normal operation of the computer or selling useless software or other services. A computer can become “infected” by malware through clicking on attachments to phishing emails, loading infected CDs or flash drives on to the computer or clicking on links that take you to infected web sites. The technology industry uses several terms for specific types of malware, including “viruses”, “worms”, “trojan horses”, ”spyware”, “adware” and “key loggers”. The best steps to take in preventing your computer from being infected by malware are to install antivirus software from a reputable vendor and keep your antivirus, operating system and browser software up to date.