As we know, the threat landscape is very dynamic nowadays and a major threat is the use of malware. Malware is a term derived from malicious software; it is a general term that categorizes all programs that are created for the sole purpose of penetrating computer systems and causing harm to the computer systems without the owner’s consent. Besides identity theft, executable as well as non-executable files can damage the efficacy of personal as well as business networks.
That is why it is crucial to know what exactly is malware, what types of malicious programs exist, and how to prevent them from gaining unauthorized access to your organization’s systems.
What is Malware?
Malware is software that is deliberately used to harm a computer, a network, or a server. It manifests under the following categories; Viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware, and adware. Each type works differently but all such types’ primary objective is to steal a company’s data, damage its services, or try to get unauthorized access to companies.
Malware can spread through various methods, including infected email attachments, compromised websites, or even seemingly legitimate software downloads. For businesses, a mail filtering service can be an essential tool to block malicious emails and prevent employees from unknowingly downloading malware through phishing schemes.
Common Types of Malware Attacks
To better understand how to defend against malware, it’s important to be familiar with the most common types and how they operate:
- Viruses: These are just malicious codes that hook onto clean files, multiply, and spread through a system, to harm data or files.
- Worms: Worms, on the other hand, are capable of moving through networks without having to hook themselves to other files. They are always capable of infecting as many pieces of equipment as possible and in such a short period too.
- Trojans: Trojans are tricky since they are passed off as other genuine files and programs that the user downloads willingly. Once installed, they are capable of penetrating the secured loop and making the attacker gain full control of the system.
- Ransomware: This kind of malware locks a user’s files thus demanding for a ransom to be paid for the files to be released. The most frequent type of cyber threat that is attacking nowadays, especially in the healthcare and financial sectors of every country is ransomware.
- Spyware: As you might gather from the name of this type of malware on the internet, spyware secretly acts as watchdogs of a particular user spying on the activity of such a user and recording details such as passwords, credit card numbers, and so forth.
- Adware: While they are usually less dangerous than other forms of malware, adware is an invasive program that floods the user’s interface with ads and may consume system resources.
How Malware Spreads
There are various possibilities for malware to infect the systems. The most common include:
- Phishing Emails: Phishing scams involve fakers impersonating legitimate companies or individuals via email to obtain the recipient’s trust and make him or her click on the URL or download an infected file.
- Compromised Websites: Some websites contain malicious codes to download unwanted programs to a visitor’s computer without his consent.
- Software Downloads: Either downloading software from unknown sites or enjoying pirated content can lead to having Malware in a given system.
- Removable Media: A USB drive or any other removable media can turn out to have malware on it if it has been connected to an infected computer.
Tips for Preventing Malware
While malware can be destructive, there are effective strategies for preventing infections:
- Use a Mail Filtering Service: A large number of cyber-attacks start from phishing e-mails containing a virus link or an infected file attachment. A good mail filtering service can screen out what in essence can be dangerous emails and thereby minimize on downloading of incriminating attachments.
- Install Antivirus Software: The first string of defence against malware is having a good antivirus program installed on your computer. It can scan and delete the virus before the virus has a chance to penetrate the computer and do its damage.
- Keep Software Updated: Hackers take advantage of open ports & open recurs & weak passwords due to a lack of updates & updates that are unavailable for the OS. It is also crucial to ensure that your operating system, anti-virus, and the applications you are using are updated often because the update contains specific fixes to known vulnerabilities.
- Avoid Suspicious Links and Attachments: This is a very popular one as well: never follow links, or download attachments that come from unknown or suspicious sources. Before responding to what is written in an email even if it seems to be genuine, ensure you verify the sender’s identity.
- Use Strong, Unique Passwords: It is good practice to use a very strong password which will act as a barrier if someone wants to intrude into your system. In your case, it is recommended to use a password generator and to save the generated passwords in a trustworthy password manager.
- Enable Firewalls: A firewall can be used to prevent any malicious entity from accessing your network enhancing the safeguard against malware and other threats.
Conclusion
Malware can be a real danger in the world of computers and the internet, however with the knowledge of how these threats work and by using various measures you can minimize the chances of the malware penetrating your system. There are ways to protect one’s devices and data such as using an antivirus, updating frequently, and getting a mail filtering service. Always be watchful and be updated with the current trends in the world of malware so your personal and business computers will not be prone to attacks.