Riskware defines any legitimate programs that pose potential risks due to security vulnerability, software incompatibility, or legal violations. Typically, risks pertain to malicious cyber criminals exploiting programs that handle sensitive data or admin-level processes. Misuse of riskware is done to steal data, hijack computer systems, or cause disruptions.
These programs are not designed to be malicious — but they do have functions that can be used for malicious purposes. When used with bad intentions, the riskware program can be viewed as malware. This grey area of safety makes riskware an especially challenging threat to manage.
Unfortunately, cyber security protections cannot simply manage these threats for you. Antivirus solutions leave the decision-making in your hands to avoid damaging your system and taking away tools you’d like to keep. As a result, it’s up to you to be aware of the risks from software on your system.
