Whether it’s a Windows device or an Android mobile phone, advances in software development have provided easy access to the best software. Not all software is the same, and some programs are made to interfere with the work of the computer system. This malware is known to be malicious and there are over 1.1 billion of them.
Malicious software is software designed to access, manipulate or delete data on a computer system without the end user’s consent in order to make it available to a third party.
Even if people feel it’s hackers creating malicious code, organizations love it. Sony has also used malware in the past to prevent people from duplicating music CDs. There are different types of malware, and in this article we will go into detail about the different types of malware.
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A virus is a type of malware that is very similar to a biological virus. Like a biological virus, a computer virus is harmless without a host program.
A computer virus is a piece of code that infects an executable file on a computer system. Once the infected file is executed, the malicious code is executed and the virus can spread to other executable files. After repeated replication, the virus executes a payload that damages the infected system.
To better understand how a virus works, let’s look at an example of clicking on a link infected with a virus.
When you click on an infected link, the malicious code is launched and infects your system. The virus may end up in the processor’s memory or in the computer’s startup area when infected. If it infects the boot partition, the virus will run and replicate on every system boot.
After repeated replication, the virus releases a payload that can damage hard drives, display messages or slow down the system.
Unlike a virus, a worm is a self-contained piece of malware that replicates itself on a computer network to reduce performance or consume network bandwidth.
Worms work independently of other software installed on your system. Instead, they target vulnerabilities in the operating system to replicate them and cause damage. Although worms are designed to replicate themselves and do no damage to the systems they infect, the latest versions of this malware have payloads that can encrypt, alter or delete user data.
Older versions of the worms used infected drives or CDs to infect systems; newer versions use infected email, instant messaging applications or peer-to-peer file transfer networks to attack users.
In the case of an email worm, malware enters the system via an email containing malicious code. When a user opens a malicious email attachment, the worm installs itself on the system and attempts to find vulnerabilities in the operating system.
After gaining access to the system, it makes copies and sends infected emails to all users on the targeted mailing list. The worm repeats this process until the security holes are closed, making it a dangerous form of malware.
The Wannacry cyberattack was also carried out with a worm that used the SMBv1 protocol on Windows systems to attack systems.
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Spyware is malicious software designed to collect a target’s personal information. This information may consist of login details, bank details or other sensitive information that the user enters into his or her system. This information can help an attacker infiltrate other organizations or embezzle money from their bank accounts.
There are different types of spyware, and keyloggers are a category of software used to track keystrokes. With this information, attackers can gain access to personal information that can be sold online or perform other attacks.
Adware is also a type of spyware that collects user data and sends it to ad servers to build user profiles and generate revenue.
Nowadays, most free services we use are advertised for money and we are used to seeing pop-ups in the applications we use every day. However, some malware is designed to bombard users with unwanted ads.
Although adware is generally not malware, it collects users’ browsing habits and location data to profile users and display targeted ads. Advertising software is generally associated with open source software on the internet to generate revenue from the use of open source software.
Adware works by connecting target computers to ad servers that send pop-ups to the system, making the user experience less useful. In some cases, adware modifies the default search engine of systems to send targets to websites that pay an attacker to redirect traffic to their site.
Adware can also redirect targets to websites that contain other malware that can harm the user’s system.
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Rootkits are at the top of the list when it comes to malware that is really hard to detect. A rootkit is a malicious program that hides in a system and manipulates the operating system or infects the bootloader or BIOS. Therefore, it is difficult to detect and remove the root kits.
Among other things, rootkits allow hackers to access a system’s administrative resources, allowing them to gather all sorts of information and manipulate data from a compromised system.
Since the rootkit gives the attacker access to this type of data, it can be used to remotely access the compromised system and execute and attack the attacker.
A logic bomb is a malicious program that is activated when a certain condition is met. Once the condition is met, the malware delivers its payload, which it can use to damage the system.
Due to their design characteristics, logic bombs remain undetected on systems for long periods of time and are therefore difficult to detect.
As for the use of logic bombs, a Siemens contractor used logic bombs to corrupt spreadsheets to make money by getting paid to fix broken systems.
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The malware in botnets infects multiple computer devices and uses them to carry out DDOS attacks, spread malware or carry out phishing attacks.
In a botnet attack, an attacker infects several computer devices with malware and uses them to attack other systems. If the system is part of a botnet, the user may not realize that their system is being used to carry out a cyber attack because they have no information about the infection.
Systems attacked by this malware can generate high Internet bills, poor performance and even lead to legal consequences if the system is compromised during the attack.
Ransomware encrypts user data and prevents access to it until a ransom is paid.
Ransomware can spread through a variety of attack vectors, but most commonly system vulnerabilities and email phishing attacks are used to infect systems.
The Wannacry ransomware attack has infected millions of computers around the world and accepts payments in encrypted currency.
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Most malware resides in file systems and most antivirus programs scan file signatures for malware.
File-less malware is a type of malware that does not create files, but runs in the memory of the attacked system by executing scripts on the system. Fileless malware uses Powershell, Word, or other legitimate programs to execute malicious scripts that download and execute executable files in system memory.
Their design and the attack vectors used by file-less malware make them difficult to detect.
As you can see, different malware use different attack vectors and payloads to infect systems. Therefore, several precautions must be taken to protect systems from infection.
As developers are constantly fixing security issues, it is essential that every user keeps their system up-to-date to protect it from malware. Regular backups of your system in different locations are also a good idea, as they can help you recover data in the event of a ransomware infection.
Using a good antivirus program in conjunction with Windows Defender is also a good idea, as it can protect your system from additional threats. It’s also a good idea to keep your internet bills on file, as this can help you detect botnet infections. Het gebruik van virtuele toetsenborden bij het invoeren van gevoelige informatie kan voorkomen dat spyware gevoelige informatie met keyloggers verzamelt.
U kunt uw geheugensysteem ook voortdurend controleren op wormen in uw systeem, omdat deze zich exponentieel vermenigvuldigen en veel geheugen in beslag nemen. Als u beschadigde bestanden of pop-ups op uw systeem vindt, moet u een virusscan uitvoeren omdat uw systeem mogelijk is geïnfecteerd met adware of malware.
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