While not nearly as spiritually damaging as other online concerns, malware (often inaccurately lumped together into the catch-all term “viruses”) is often the bane of our attempts to do productive things online. In a generation in which Church members are going online to do family history research, name extraction, missionary applications, class lessons, ward and stake directories, and a host of other worthy causes, the constant onslaught of malicious software can make the experience less than satisfying.

Malicious software includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, and malicious pop-ups. Recent studies suggest that the percentage of personal computers infected with some type of malware is 30%.¹¹