The term malware translates quite literally to “malicious software.” It’s an all-encompassing term that includes viruses, ransomware, worms, spyware, adware, and generally any software that is used to obtain sensitive information without a user’s consent. Malware disrupts computer systems in a variety of ways, such as by restricting access, encrypting files, corrupting data, stealing personal information, or slowing the system down.*
Malware can enter a system through downloads, email attachments, advertisements, or any type of hole in the security of the system. After an infection occurs, a system shows signs of the attack and is recovered in different ways, depending on the type of infection. For example, ransomware will display a message demanding a sum of money, and spyware will live in your files, possibly without ever being noticed.
Also, be aware of any present threats. A great resource for this is the SOPHOS threat monitoring dashboard that displays what malware is currently active, and Kaspersky’s Threat Post blog provides easy-to-understand explanations about a variety of threats.
Types of Malware You Need to Know About
Adware – A type of malware that displays advertisements on your computer and collects data about your browsing habits without your consent.
Keylogger – Malicious software that tracks the keystrokes on a computer and transmits the data to another location so it can be used to detect usernames and passwords that are typed on a computer.
Ransomware – Software that locks a computer and retains control until the user pay a certain amount of money.
Rootkit – A type of software designed to open a backdoor into areas of operating system that are not supposed to be available and to mask its presence while doing so. It is used to deploy other types of malware.
Spyware – Software designed to steal user data—such as website logins and passwords or proprietary information and trade secrets—off machines it has infected
Trojan – Malicious software that seems legitimate but contains other software that attacks the system in some way after tricking a user into activating it.
Virus – A type of malware that attaches itself to an application and then spreads to other programs and computers on the same network through an infected host file, causing a variety of damage when the application is run.
Worm – Software that infects a computer and then replicates itself from system to system on its own without the help of a host file.
Malware’s Most Wanted
CryptoLocker – Ransomware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands payment before restoring access. It was identified in September 2013 and quickly infected hundreds of thousands of computers and grossed millions of dollars in ransom.
CryptoWall – Malicious software that made its entrance to the ransomware scene in June 2014, taking over were CryptoLocker left off. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, CryptoWall has totaled more than $18 million in losses in just over a year since its inception.
TeslaCrypt – Identified in early 2015, TeslaCrypt is a type of ransomware that only infects certain file types, and it is also the first ransomware to explicitly go after game saves, such as those from popular or launching fraudulent social networking accounts.
Zeus – A Trojan that steals banking information and other personal details from infected computers. It was initially detected in 2007 and has since infected millions of devices. The source code was made public, which led to a number of new malware variants.
Rombertik – A type of spyware that captures anything transmitted or typed in plaintext on an infected system. It also has a fail-safe that can destroy the system by overwriting important boot information and the hard drive partition if the malware code is tampered with, making it difficult at best to recover any data.
This list only scratches the surface because new malware threats are being detected almost every day. So, it’s imperative for organizations to be aware of these malware threats and back up their business critical data offsite. Those who don’t risk their livelihood because in the wake of a cyber attack or other data loss event, having their data backed up can be essential to a business’ survival.
*Excerpt: Intronis Cloud Backup and Recovery Blog: blog.intronis.com.
If you would like to know more, please contact us at 1-800-871-9683 for a free consultation. Also, if you do not have online BDR (backup-disaster-recovery) and anti-virus/malware protection for your business, please give us a call to help you implement the latest systems. Our email address is: markhuffman@creativebusinesstechnologies.com
