What Are Malware? And How To Spot, Prevent & Remove Them?

What are Malware? and how to spot, prevent & remove them?

Malware that can cause you high security risks, We have summed up their prevention below.

Malicious software performs bad functions on the network and is referred to as Malware.

How does Malware get in?

Malware gets a profit from the vulnerabilities in the operating system or the vulnerabilities brought in by you, by clicking on the malicious links. A malware program is functioning initially before the malware inserts itself into the system.

Malware Types: Malware are of various kinds, some of them are as follows:

Virus

The virus is a ‘reproduce itself’ type of malware. Viruses don’t call for someone to click links or anything but instead demand to perform programs. Some viruses don’t induce issues, they are unseen but some are clear (provide pop-ups).

Viruses penetrate into the system in various ways. Some viruses are added to an application. So, we run the virus when we run that application. Viruses may run as a script, some may be the part of boot sector or macros.

How to prevent it?

• Update Operating system and applications.
• Deploy a firewall.
• Install anti-virus and update the anti-virus signature.     

Worm

It can travel without human act or invasion inside the network or computer. It spread and take control of the system rapidly. A well-recognized virus that can be cleaned through a next-generation intrusion prevention system or firewall.

How to prevent it?

• Only click trusted links and attachment.
• Install anti-virus and update the anti-virus signature.

Ransomware

It captures the user data and encrypts it and in return, demands money. Ransomware drives the system or computer inoperable. A fake note is presented on the screen with the message that police have sealed the computer. That may be legitimate but ransomware may come out in this form. In case it is ransomware, you need to take your system to a security expert so that he can dispose of ransomware and secure your files and data from damage.

How to prevent it?

• Spam filter should be effective.
• Patch all the software.
• Elevated privileges should be restricted.

Cryptomalware

This malware encrypts all the data or files except operating system and provokes the note that the data have been encrypted and you demand to track some method through which the victim can deliver money to the threat actor for regaining access to the files or to have the decryption keys. The system of payment is not identifiable and also you can’t decrypt the data files because of an effective encryption method i.e. Public Key Cryptography. It can also detect the online backup data and encrypt them too.

How to prevent it?

• Update Operating system and applications.
• Backup all data offline.
• Install anti-virus and update the anti-virus signature.

Trojan Horse

It ruins the system by covering its real functionality, this means that it imitates something other than malware. It is easy for the malware to get inside of the system. And once they get inside, they open gates for other malware too and that open gate is referred to as a back door. Remote Access Trojan commonly indicated as Remote Administrative Tools is a division of Trojan horse malware. It provides administrative entry and set up the back door.

How to prevent it?

• Should examine software before installing it. Install only what is trusted.
• Should have a backup of the data.
• Should update the antivirus software and operating system.

RootKit

It couples with another software to generate malware and located mostly in a kernel. A subtle type of malware that allows threat actor to have an administrative entry without a user’s awareness. And once the entry is granted to the threat actor they can perform whatever they need to like changing system setting, data accessing, etc.

How to prevent it?

• Install a specific Rootkit Remover.
• Update anti-virus software.
• Take advantage of UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) BIOS.

KeyLogger

Keylogger saves the keystrokes that the user enter and then prepare a file and deliver it to the threat actor who craves to ruin our system and need your personal information and data. It also saves information other than keystrokes.

How to prevent it?

• Update Anti-Virus Software.
• Use of exfiltration process.
• Set up firewall rules for the file transfer from the system.
• Use Keylogger scanner.

Spyware

A malicious software that examines the user action like the website they visit and wait for their input in order to steal their personal information.

It poses as a security software to get into the system, which in actual is a fake or it may be installed along with another software. Once it is installed, it starts watching the user work to pick up the browsing record and utilize it for their own benefit like when you log in to the bank account they will follow you and through the seized information they will be able to log in to your account and can freely move the money into another account.

How to prevent it?

• Update the latest signature for the anti-virus.
• Be particular while installing the application.
• Backup all the data.

Adware

A kind of malicious software that once installed on the system, it starts showing advertisement and popping up messages and through this, the threat actors make money because they know it is one of the finest ways to make money on the internet. The threat actor sometimes encapsulates the adware software inside some other application that people install normally and when they install that application, adware installed along with it.

How to prevent it?

• Disable pop-ups.
• Update anti-malware software.
• Don’t install additional software.

Botnet

A kind of malware that is also known as robot network (Group of robots that performs or focuses on the same task). A robot is present inside the network and does the tasks that are ordered to it and poison the system.

How to prevent it?

• Use network monitoring software.
• Keep system up to date.
• Use strong passwords.

Logic Bomb

As the name hints, it is like a time bomb that waits for the appropriate moment for the action. When the bomb goes off, something overwhelming happens like deletion of data from the system. Recognition of this malware is complex because it is commonly installed by someone with administrative entry and further because a recognized anti-malware signature does not match it.

How to prevent it?

• Update operating system and application.
• Be caution while installing freeware software.
• Be careful while clicking links and attachment.

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