Malware is the general name for a combination of malicious software which include spyware, viruses and ransomware. Malware software is basically a series of code written by cyber attackers to cause serious damage to your system, steal your data and in extreme cases gain unauthorized access to your network.
What damages can a Malware perform?
Malware functions in a variety of ways from asking for a ransom to taking away very sensitive and vital personal information. As technology evolves, cyber thieves have also evolved in their methods and they have become very sophisticated in the way they carry out their attack.
Popular malware and how they operate
- Worms
The name worm is derived right form how they attack system. They typically operate from a single system and then gradually transition through the entire network, infecting multiple machines in the process. Worms usually spread at an alarming rate on they gain access into your network.
- Virus
Viruses are arguably the most common type of malware available. Viruses operate by including malicious code to clean code and wait for the code to be installed on your system. These viruses have the ability to spread rapidly and cause severe damage to the way your system operates. In most cases viruses are usually found inside an executable file.
- Trojans
Similar to the way the Greek soldiers hid inside of a giant horse to attack their opponents, Trojans hide inside of a legit software acting behind the background. Trojans would typically circumvent security by creating back channels that would grant easy access to other malware.
- Spyware
Spyware are quite different from other malicious software and just like the name implies, spywares are designed to spy on user action. Spyware typically retrieves user information unknown to the user. Spyware typically focuses on confidential information such as your credit card details, account password and other personal information.
- Ransomware
Known in some circles as scareware, ransomware are typically very expensive to acquire. Ransomware have the ability to shutdown networks by locking users out of their network until a ransom has been paid. It is a known fact that ransomwares have attacked some of the largest organizations worldwide leading to drastic results.
How to protect your system against Malware
We have been able to briefly explain malware and the different ways in which they operate. It is time to discuss about how to protect our system and devices against malwares. As far as protection is concerned there are two key areas to focus on
- Protective tools
- User vigilance
Acquiring protective tools is usually the best option as you can easily obtain and configure one of the best free malware software on your system.
The trending anti-malware software this year include Avira antivirus, Bitdefender antivirus, Malwarebytes Anti-malware, etc.
On the flipside, users can be prone to clicking some inviting links such as (“Take a look at this amazing website”) or links that could instill fear such as (“quickly install this software to protect your system”). This is why users need to be extremely vigilant so as to be able to protect their systems from attack.
With the right user policies, anti-malware solution and persistent network monitoring, and also a comprehensive monitoring of activities that can have an adverse effect on your organization, you can protect your computer from malware attack.