What is malware designed to do?

Malware is specifically designed to cause harm or exploit devices, which is why option C is the correct answer. The primary intent of malware is to infiltrate systems, steal sensitive information, disrupt operations, or gain unauthorized access to resources. This can take many forms, including viruses, worms, ransomware, and spyware, each with its own method of operation aimed at causing damage or leveraging systems for malicious purposes.

The other options do not accurately represent the purpose of malware. Enhancing software performance would imply positive functionality, which does not align with the malicious intent of malware. Similarly, fixing software vulnerabilities suggests a corrective action aimed at improving security, contrasting sharply with malware’s purpose of exploiting those very vulnerabilities. Logging network traffic, while it can be associated with monitoring tools, does not describe the intrinsic goal of malware, which is rooted in causing damage or unwanted exploitation rather than merely collecting information.