Whether your computer is a desktop, laptop, or mobile device, it’s constantly exposed to cyber threats. Threat actors use malware to extort money, disrupt operations, and steal sensitive information.
Unexplained crashes or slowness, suspicious icons on your desktop, or increased internet activity are all potential symptoms of a malware infection. Keeping your operating system updated is the best way to reduce your risk of infection.
Viruses
What is malware on a computer? Malware that is commonly used by cybercriminals to target your computer or device is called viruses. They can delete files, impede system performance, and steal data. When a program executes, viruses cling to it and replicate themselves. Subsequently, they dispersed to USB drives, file collaboration apps, and email attachments, among other programs and files.
A virus is a small piece of genetic information enclosed in a protective coating called a capsid. Unlike cells, viruses don’t have all the equipment that cells have to make more copies of themselves, so they rely on host cells for this function. It allows viruses to spread to multiple different types of cells without the need for the genetic material to change.
Viruses can cause serious problems for your business if they aren’t dealt with quickly. Some can brick your devices, while others may steal your data or slow down your systems.
Viruses can be detected by looking for patterns in how they spread or by examining the code of a virus. However, preventing or detecting viruses requires a complex understanding of what is and isn’t legitimate use of system services, so the problem seems intractable. Statistical methods can limit undetected viral spreading in time or extent, but precise detection is unlikely.
Adware
While viruses and adware pose threats to your device, they operate differently. Unlike viruses, which replicate themselves to corrupt new hosts, adware does not reproduce or spread itself. Instead, it operates behind the scenes to display or download unwanted or intrusive advertisements that disrupt your computer’s use and privacy.
Adware can be obnoxious at best and a gateway to more dangerous malware at worst. Some adware is part of a larger category known as potentially unwanted programs or applications (PUA) and comes bundled with free programs you didn’t explicitly agree to install. This software can change your home page or default search engine, inject rogue results into web pages, or cause pop-up windows to appear on your screen.
Adware also has the potential to steal your data by tracking your internet browsing habits and selling this information to third parties. It may also perform “man-in-the-middle” attacks, intercepting your communications over secure or encrypted connections to collect and manipulate sensitive information for illicit purposes. As a result, it can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive systems and information, data breaches, phishing scams, and blackmail. In addition, the adware can be used to deliver other malicious software like viruses, trojan horses, or ransomware.
Spyware
Spyware is malicious software that monitors your computer without your permission. It collects data about your online activity and then sends it to a third party for commercial or nefarious purposes. The collected data includes browsing habits to email account passwords, phone numbers, and address books.
Cybercriminals use the information gathered from spyware to commit identity theft or launch attacks on your device. For example, your banking information or credit card details may be used to make unauthorized purchases. Spyware can also propagandize and manipulate your digital experience by serving targeted advertisements based on the information it collects.
Like viruses, adware, and Trojans, spyware comes in various forms. It can be hidden in free downloads or infected with HyperText Markup Language (HTML) website ads. It can also be distributed via drive-by download, phishing links, or a physical device. As it explains, it is relatively easy to infect your computer with spyware by simply clicking on a website or an email attachment.
Once spyware is on your computer, it can hide within the operating system, making it harder to detect and remove. It can cause performance degradation by consuming memory or CPU capacity and causing software crashes and application failures. It can also change your browser’s settings, force pop-up ads, or interfere with internet connections and firewall functions.
Rootkits
Rootkits are stealthy tools that give hackers deep access to computer systems. They are a combination of tools that enable cybercriminals to hide from antivirus software, eavesdrop, monitor Internet traffic, and track keystrokes. It is challenging to detect these types of malware; once installed, they can be challenging to remove.
These kinds of attacks are usually triggered by a phishing email or other form of social engineering. Then, the threat actor can remotely control the victim’s system using a backdoor in the firmware or hardware. Firmware rootkits, for instance, infect the software that runs on a system’s firmware, such as routers, network cards, and hard drives, to install malware or intercept data written to disks.
Other kinds of rootkits target the kernel level of the operating system to change how a computer works. These are among the most severe rootkits, allowing hackers to hide keystroke logging malware, modify the OS, and even change how an application functions. Application rootkits attack standard programs like Microsoft Office, Notepad, and Paint, giving the attacker access to the computer each time you run these applications. They are challenging to detect for users, but antivirus programs can often find them since they operate at the application layer.