What Is Malware? Definition, Types and Protection

A Story by victor

Malware targets all facets of the technologies and gadgets we use on a daily basis, giving IT professionals nightmares, forcing businesses to increase security measures,

Malware targets all facets of the technologies and gadgets we use on a daily basis, giving IT professionals nightmares, forcing businesses to increase security measures, and posing ongoing difficulties for software developers. Malicious software can cause a great deal of harm and turmoil in your life or the operations of your organisation because it is so pervasive.

This article will define malware, describe how it operates, and describe how to defend your assets against it so that, armed with this knowledge, you can make the best cyber security decisions.

What Is Malware?

Any programme or file that is specifically intended to damage a computer, network, server, or mobile device is known as malware or malicious software. By, among other disruptive actions, leaking and encrypting data, gaining illegal access to systems, and destroying information, it jeopardises the user's PC security and privacy.

Cybercriminals create many sorts of malware, such as worms, trojans, spyware, keyloggers, etc., for various nefarious goals.

Types of Malware

The most prevalent varieties of malware are listed below:

Adware �" this type of malware will flood your screen with unwanted advertisements.
Spyware �" this malware will spay without permission every move made on a device and report back to a threat actor.
Virus �" a type of malware that, once executed by a user, will replicate itself by infecting other programs with malicious code.
Worm �" this type of malware is similar to a virus, but it is self-replicating into a device without a host program. And a worm does not need any action from the user to initiate the infection and spread across the systems.
Trojan (horse) �" this is a program or file that is designed to seem harmless, but, once it enters your computer, it will spread the malware it was carrying.
Ransomware �" this type of malware will lock you out of your device or data by encrypting them. To regain access, users usually have to pay a ransom in exchange for the decryption key.
Rootkit �" this type of malware is harder to detect and will grant the cybercriminal administrator writes on the infected computer, or root access.
Keylogger �" this malware records every keystroke made on a device with the purpose of finding out important data like credentials, credit card information and so on.
Backdoor malware �" this malware will allow a cybercriminal to remotely access a device, multiple times, without being detected by the security systems.

How Can You Get Infected with Malware

Threat actors keep coming up with new and inventive ways to infect a gadget. It basically comes down to the following: downloading a malicious file, installing a malicious software, opening a malicious attachment (malspam), and clicking a link from a phishing email are all ways to receive malware whenever you are connected to the Internet. Moreover, a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection can make a mobile device vulnerable to infection.

However, you might still become infected by visiting an infected website even if you refrain from clicking on anything suspicious. You can see the severity of the problem when you consider that malware can occasionally very well conceal itself as a legitimate application. Malware can also be delivered physically by cybercriminals using USB drivers and other physical tools.

More advanced malware can modify its code to evade detection like polymorphic malware, use a command and control server (C&C) to get extra instructions from its author, or employ anti-sandbox tactics (the malware knows when it is analysed and executes only after the sandboxing is over).

How to Detect a Malware Attack

When malware has attacked a system, network, or device, if you're lucky, some unusual behaviours may indicate the attack. This means that more advanced malware leaves no traces, is undetectable by users, and can only be identified by a reliable anti malware application.

Here are a few indicators that cause worry:

Your computer is slower than usual

Your device will start to operate more slowly than usual all of a sudden. Your PC seems to have trouble with simple tasks like opening programmes or Internet browsing.

This could mean that a threat actor operating a botnet is utilising the resources of your machine (a network of hijacked computers used for DDoS attacks, spam attacks, or cryptomining).

Unwanted pop-up ads

Another indication of malware infection is an unusual influx of pop-up advertisements. Although they are frequently connected to adware, these adverts can also introduce undiscovered dangers.

Your computer has crashed

Your computer's operating system (OS) may completely fail. This may have appeared as a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), which denotes that the OS had a serious problem that required a reboot.

Less disk space

On your device's drive, malware might nefariously take up space, giving you less room to work with.

Higher Internet activity

Certain malware, such as trojans, download more harmful software onto your computer. The threat actors must do this by using your Internet connection to connect to the command and control server (C&C). Hence, you might see an increase in your Internet usage.

Changed browser settings

Someone else, generally a cybercriminal, may have access to your computer if you see a new homepage, strange toolbars, or applications on your device.

Disabled protection

A malware assault may have rendered you and your data vulnerable if your cybersecurity tools stop functioning and you are unable to turn them back on.

Encrypted data

You may lose access to your crucial data or the entire device if you are the victim of a ransomware assault. Everything may be encrypted by a cybercriminal, who would then demand a ransom in exchange for the decryption key.

What to Do If You Get Infected with Malware?

There are a few things you may take to remove the malware from PCs and mobile devices if you discover that you or your business has been the target of a malware attack:

Choose reliable cybersecurity software to keep all of your gadgets secure (including mobile ones).
Use this protection programme to conduct a security check in order to find and eliminate the malware that has infected your computers.
Update all of your passwords to ensure that you are protected in case threat actors were able to steal some data and attempt to use it in a future assault (like a passwoord spraying attack). Passwords can be reset for computers, smartphones, mail, online banking, social media platforms, etc.
You must perform a factory reset if your phone has malware on it. You will thus need to restore all of your data from a prior backup.

How to Stay Safe from Malware

The fundamental steps you may take as a person or as an organisation to safeguard yourself against malware are as follows:

Browse only top-level domain sites to avoid browsing dangerous websites or being infected by malware (such as.com,.org,.net,.edu, and.biz) (the kind of malware that will infect your system only by visiting a site).
Never reuse passwords and follow a strong password strategy that includes multi-factor authentication.
Pop-up adverts should not be clicked since they may spread malware.
Never open strange attachments from emails, chats, or texts, and never click on unfamiliar links as they could be phishing scams.
Download all of your apps only from Google Play or the App Store, and make sure they have a lot of positive customer reviews and ratings.
To prevent vulnerabilities, always update your operating system, your programmes, and any other software you use.
Your data should be backed up at regular intervals in various places that aren't connected to the Internet or each other. In this way, even if your data is stolen, encrypted, destroyed, or you have to clean your systems, you won't lose it completely.
Employ a reliable cybersecurity programme to scan your computers and stop any infection.
Segment your network to lessen your exposure to attack. Your network can be divided into smaller subnetworks so that an infection can be stopped at a select few endpoints.
Employers should follow the principle of least privilege (PoLP) and limit employee access to resources that are necessary for their tasks. This will lessen the impact of an attack if a user is penetrated because a cybercriminal will only be able to access a small amount of data.
Teach the employees of your organisation how to recognise and prevent malware dangers in their daily work.

Wrapping Up…

It will be easier for you to choose the finest cybersecurity solution for you and your company if you are aware of the many forms of viruses that are available and what they are capable of. In order to stop a malware attack or prevent a malware infection, it is a good idea to combine effective security software with industry best practices and personnel security training.