Malware comes in many forms: the unwanted programs can surface as pathogens, spies, or remote controls in computers. Whether it’s a virus, spyware, or a Trojan horse, this harmful software should be kept well away from your computer. What are the different types of malware? We show you how to protect yourself from them and what steps to take if your computer or webspace are affected.
Programs that intend to cause damage are known as ‘malware’. Most users refer to these programs as viruses, but this doesn’t show the full extent of these harmful programs: a computer virus is actually a type of malware and can differ from many other types.
Viruses are programs that are able to spread independently by making copies of themselves and infiltrating other computer programs. This is the oldest and best known type of malware. When a virus program is started, it multiplies, and can then interfere with a computer’s functions, destroy data, spy on the user, or even cause damage to the hardware.
Worms reproduce too, spread more actively than viruses, and don’t depend on other files. Computer worms use networks or removable media to gain access to other systems and usually need a program to aid them in this task. Worms that spread through e-mails use the user’s e-mail program to send themselves to all contacts in the address book. Worms, just like viruses, can damage the system and are often used to gain secret control over the computer. They are the most common types of malicious software.
A Trojan horse, or simply ‘Trojan’, pretends to be a useful and safe application at first so that it can access a computer’s system (just like in ancient mythology when the Greeks used the wooden horse to enter the city of Troy). They perform functions that are mostly hidden from users. Trojan horses can carry out lots of harmful actions such as monitoring a computer’s data traffic. Some of them copy information or files and send them on while others execute specific tasks on the computer and change or install new software (mostly other malicious software such as spyware or adware). Trojan horses can even be controlled remotely (through a backdoor function), which gives other users the chance to hijack the computer for cybercriminal purposes.
The word ‘adware’ is a contraction of ‘advertisement’ and ‘software’ and it works by inserting advertising into programs. It is often included in free software and is mostly legitimate, but can be dangerous if it makes any changes on the system or to the browser settings without permission, or shows pop-ups or fake websites.
This software is used to uncover user data and send it to the creator or a third party with the user completely unaware that their behavior is being recorded. The information obtained by the spyware is often evaluated for commercial purposes so that tailored ads can be shown, for example.
Since spyware and adware don’t cause any direct damage, these kind of programs fall into the ‘greyware’ category. Greyware can also affect the performance and security of your computer.
These aim to scare and unsettle the user by displaying fake warnings about malware detected on the computer. If, at the same time, a fee-based software is advertised claiming to be able to remove the alleged malware, this is known as rogueware or rogue security software. If the user then buys this supposed useful application and installs it, even more malware will usually appear on the computer.
This extortionate software goes one step further than scareware: ransomware blocks access to a computer’s operating system or blocks important files. In order to have the block lifted, the program demands a ransom payment.
This is more a function rather than an independent program. Part of a software is known as backdoor when an external user gets access to a computer. This happens without the rightful user knowing.
Remote access is often exploited in order to carry out denial-of-service attacks, which is when internet services are paralyzed, or send spam e-mails. Backdoors may be installed by Trojan horses, worms, or viruses.
Both individuals and companies can fall victim to malware. The above list demonstrates how many different types of malicious programs there actually are as well as how diverse their purposes are: they are rarely just digital vandalism. It’s much more common for malware to be targeted – to expose data and use it to gain profit, to place ads and bids, to sabotage certain computer systems, or to take control of an external computer.
Malware remains undetected for as long as possible so that it can use the infected computer for its own aims. However, certain symptoms reveal that a computer has been infected with malicious software:
Certain software helps to protect your computer, but it’s your responsibility to make sure your computer doesn’t become infected with malicious software. There may be software-based protection measures, but you need to make sure you’re aware of the proper guidelines on internet use.
To make sure that your system is basically immune from malicious software, the following software should be present on your computer:
Often, it’s just a careless browsing mistake that leads to malware ending up on your computer. Just by following a few guidelines, you can reduce your chances of becoming infected:
If you suspect that malware has found its way onto your computer, you need to take appropriate action immediately. There isn’t a general procedure you can carry out to eliminate malicious programs, but with a little online research you can find out about the symptoms of an infection and find a tried and tested solution. This research shouldn’t, of course, be carried out on the infected computer – take it offline immediately and shut it down before the malware causes even more damage.
If you suspect that there’s malware on your computer, you should proceed as follows:
A more expensive, but foolproof solution is emergency software like the Kaspersky Rescue Disk, the F-Secure Rescue CD, or KNOPPIX. The programs can be downloaded for free and copied as a bootable ISO format on a removable storage device. Before your computer starts up, the emergency software performs a malware check and removes anything dangerous. If your computer is very badly affected by malware, it won’t even start so these emergency systems are the only solution to get your computer back up and running.
If the computer is still experiencing problems that can be traced back to malware, you have two options: you can either contact an expert for their help, or you can continue to tackle the problem yourself by backing up your personal files, formatting all hard drives, and re-installing the operating system. Formatting is definitely the most complex approach in combatting malware, but it’s also the most secure method since some viruses plant themselves deep in the system or install other malware which might not have been picked up during the scan.
It’s not just computers that fall victim to malicious software; websites and their associated webspace can also be attacked. Webmasters will normally receive a message from the internet provider or from the search engine to say that their website has been infected. Web hosting providers as well as companies like Google regularly analyze websites for malicious code. They often already have some preventative measures in place to make sure malware can’t find its way onto your site.
With the following precautionary measures, you can protect your website against malware:
If your website has been hacked and is now infected with malware, you should take it offline; an infected website often serves as a transmitter of malicious software and infiltrates the computers of those visiting the website.
If you haven’t been informed about the infection by your website provider, you should tell them yourself. Hosts can often help you with the removal of malware. You can also take these few steps by yourself to ensure that your web server is secure again:
If you’re unsure whether you can fix the damage independently, you should contact an expert. To ensure both your visitors and search engines like Google are satisfied, you first need to have a completely secure site.
Malicious programs lurk in many corners of the internet. Malware can potentially affect anyone and cause considerable damage, which is why it’s of the utmost importance to ensure you have adequate prevention measures. Besides using special programs and keeping the software up to date, you also need to be wise and use the internet and related applications carefully. Take care when surfing, using web applications, downloading files, and opening e-mail attachments. There is no entirely foolproof method of protection and even the most vigilant of users can fall victim to malware. Removing malicious software is well worth the effort: only a malware-free system can offer you the security and performance that you’re entitled to.
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