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Glossary  

This glossary contains many of the terms you will find throughout the SpywareRemove.com website.

M

macro
A collection of keystrokes and commands that are recorded, saved and ascribed to a shortcut key. As soon as the key code is pressed, the recorded keystrokes and command are launched. Macros assist in carrying out repetitive daily operations. However, they can also be used harmfully. See Macro Virus.

macro virus
A program or code segment programmed in internal macro language of the application. Some macros copy themselves or distribute, others may alter documents, files on the computer without distributing (e.g. Trojan).

malware (malicious software)
It is a malicious program which is designed to break down or disorder the system; the examples of it may be viruses and Trojans. Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are not considered malware.

Malware-related hoaxes
Malware-related hoaxes give false information regarding malware or computer system events. In most cases, malware-related hoaxes are warnings of fantastical or impossible malware threats that create unnecessary panic. These hoaxes often try to trick users into performing unwanted actions on their systems. Hoaxes that are related with malware typically reach users as email and often advise that users forward them; however this is only a waste of time and bandwidth.

master boot record (MBR)/boot sector infector (BSI)
A virus infecting the system’s master boot record on hard drives and boot sector on diskettes. This virus corrupts the system at a low level and activates itself between system hardware and the operating system. An MBR/boot sector virus positions itself in memory during boot-up before virus-detection code starts operating.

MD5
A cryptographic hash function or a unique number while transferring a string of data such as in text file or an EXE file. Hash values show that the original files are not altered.

media
This is a universal term for describing all removable tapes, disks, CD/DVDs that contain code and data to be used on a computer.

memory resident
A program that remains in RAM of the PC at all times when other programs run, e.g. accessory software, activity monitoring, resident scanning software. Viruses often try to become resident programs. An activity monitor can keep track of memory-resident operations.

mobile code
It is a software obtained from remote systems, transferred across the network, downloaded and executed without installation by the user. A worm can be considered as a harmful mobile code.

multi-partite virus
A virus corrupting files, master boot records, and boot sectors.

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