All malware is bad, but some types of malware do more damage than others. Damage can range from loss of files to total loss of security and even identity theft.
The term malware is a contraction of malicious software. Malware is a rather broad category but in general it’s considered any piece of software that was written with the intent of damaging devices, stealing data and generally causing a mess. Viruses, Trojans, spyware and ransomware are among the different kinds of malware.
Malware can be created by teams of hackers looking to make money by spreading the malware themselves or selling it to the highest bidder on the Dark Web. But there are other reasons for creating malware. For example, it can be used as a tool for protest, a way to test security, or even as weapons of war between governments.
Normally, malware exploits security defects (security bugs or vulnerabilities) in the design of the operating systems, applications or in vulnerable versions of browser plugins. It’s very sneaky about entering your PC. It can enter as the result of clicking on website links, pop-up ads, or any other kind of normal surfing activity. There are subtle and blatant signs that will tell you if it has entered your PC, including:
- You start seeing an excessive amount of pop-up ads
- Your PC’s operating system slows down significantly
- The homepage you have set in your browser is altered
- When you try to access a webpage in your favorites list, another webpage appears
- Your computer completely crashes
Malware comes in different forms such as:
- Viruses — Software usually hidden within another seemingly innocuous program that can produce copies of itself and insert them into other programs or files
- Trojan horses — A harmful program that misrepresents itself to masquerade as a regular, benign program or utility in order to persuade a victim to install it
- Screen-locking ransomware — Blocks screens on Windows or Android devices with a false accusation in harvesting illegal content, trying to scare the victims into paying up a fee
- Rootkits — Once malicious software is installed on a system, it is essential that it stays concealed, to avoid detection. Software packages known as rootkits allow this concealment by modifying the host’s operating system so that the malware is hidden from the user.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers Fundamentals of Malwares and Protection Against Malware Training, a 2-day course where participants will learn the definition of computer security and necessity of protection against malwares. Moreover, students learn how risk of attacks in networks is evaluated and the steps to ensure a system of security against malwares.
Additionally, Tonex offers nearly three dozen more courses in Cybersecurity Foundation. This includes cutting edge courses like:
—Automotive Cybersecurity Training (3 days)
—Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Training (2 days)
—Network Security Training (2 days)
—Software Security Training (2 days)
—ICS Cybersecurity Training (4 days)
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.