Malware is any malicious software purposefully created to cause harm to a computer system, program, database, customer, or network. There are a wide range of malware types available, such as computer viruses, worms, Trojans, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, and fake antivirus software. It can also be a combination of one or more of these. It’s important that you know what malware is and how it may affect your company.
One example of malware is ransomware.
This is a utility that locks data on computers until a payment is made. While there is a legitimate use for this utility in businesses, it has also been used by end-users to gain access to important information. Due to the fact that it uses encryption to protect the valuable data from being hacked, it’s very difficult to delete, making this type of malware dangerous to both the company and the end-user.
Another common types of malware include Antivirus utilities. These come in two varieties, physical and virtual. While virtual tools are less intrusive, they do not offer the same level of protection against malicious codes. Physical tools, however, are designed to detect and eliminate known malicious applications. Some include keyloggers, backdoor programs, Trojans, worms, and monitors.
A third common type of Malware is a web browser hijacks.
These are typically used to install malicious programs on the user’s systems without their knowledge. The most notable web browser hijack is the Internet Explorer hijack which has been used to install remote servers. This type of Malware is usually associated with phishing scams.
The fourth and fifth most prevalent forms of Malware are adware and spyware. Adware comes in two forms; Trojan and spyware. Trojan malware comes as a downloadable program that silently installs itself on the computer without the user’s knowledge. Spyware, on the other hand, is an installed program that secretly records personal information like passwords and credit card numbers. Unlike Malware which causes system damage, spyware can be removed by legitimate security programs.
The final common types of Malware include web browser hijacks, keyloggers and malware infections through Trojans and backdoor programs. With web browser hijacks, an unscrupulous party will use sites like social networking sites, free gambling sites and others to bombard the end-user with advertisements. Keyloggers, on the other hand, are malicious programs that record personal information like bank account numbers, usernames and passwords. These are also commonly used by end-users to track the websites visited and numbers dialed by them.
The last common type of Malware is the Trojan horse. A Trojan horse is a self-contained program that executes when the victim visits a malicious website. It usually comes bundled with other malware like worms or others already installed on the computer. Trojans can harm the performance of the PC by changing settings and increasing the time it takes for the computer to boot. Some Malware have the ability to steal passwords and banking information. So, in order to protect from these malicious threats, you should update your Antivirus regularly.
The removal of malware like Antivirus Action, Anti-Malware Dump Cleaner and Fireball are easy if you have an updated version of your Antivirus installed. However, if your Antivirus has a recent version, these threats may not effect your computer. For more details on how to remove malware, download an online malware detection tool and scan your system now. You’ll be glad you did.
Not all malware are created equal. There are three most common types of Malware: spyware, adware and Trojan malware. Each of these has several common types of traits. All three types of Malware have the ability to install a key logger or key-logging program on your system when you browse on the Internet and send you personal information by converting you password to webmail.
When browsing on infected web pages, you may see a popup or alert stating that you are being attacked by a “malware download”. If you click through, you may find a malware download or banner ad on your screen that advertises that you can get rid of the Malware… See complete definition of Malware here. If you feel that your computer may be infected with Malware, please get in touch with a computer technician before it is too late. Malware can cause all kinds of damage to your computer and can even require you to reformat your hard drive!
- In today’s day and age of Malware and other malicious software infections, it is important to know the common types of Malware that infects your PC.
- By knowing which type of Malware you are infected with, you can quickly remove the infection and clean up your computer system.
- The sooner you take care of Malware infections, the less they can damage your system!