{"id":5807,"date":"2020-10-16T14:41:06","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T18:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/technology.wooster.edu\/?p=5807"},"modified":"2022-08-04T08:50:30","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T12:50:30","slug":"what-is-malware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/what-is-malware\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Malware?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo by Markus Spiske<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n

What is Malware?<\/h2>\n

Malware, which is a combination of the words malicious and software, is an umbrella term for any kind of software designed with malicious intent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not all malware is destructive, though it can cause annoying\u00a0<\/span>behaviors<\/span>\u00a0such as\u00a0<\/span>generating an abundance of pop-up ads or\u00a0<\/span>cause<\/span>\u00a0your computer to run slowly. In addition to this<\/span>, it can also steal data.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some types of Malware?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Viruses<\/span><\/h3>\n

Viruses <\/span>infect<\/span>\u00a0program files and\/or personal files<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0They are a malicious code or program written to change the way a computer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>works<\/span>\u00a0and is designed to spread from one computer to another.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adware<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Adware is\u00a0<\/span>software that shows unwanted advertising on a computer or mobile devic<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0the form of pop-up ads or redirecting your browser to a specific website.<\/span>\u00a0Adware does not cause any direct harm to a user\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>device:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>h<\/span>owever,<\/span>\u00a0it can produce bothersome behaviors and can sometimes\u00a0<\/span>have<\/span>\u00a0spyware.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spyware<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Spyware hides on your computer and monitors everything that you do. It can track web\u00a0<\/span>activity<\/span>, access emails, and steal\u00a0<\/span>username<\/span>\u00a0and password information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Browser Hijacker<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Browser hijacking\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>when malicious software redirects your computer\u2019s browser to a designated website.<\/span>\u00a0It is typically used to display advertising, but it can also be<\/span>\u00a0use<\/span>d\u00a0<\/span>to generate visits to a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>particular<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>website or<\/span>\u00a0lead you to a\u00a0<\/span>malicious website that downloads malware onto your computer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bots<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Bots are an application that carries out the automated <\/span>task<\/span>\u00a0on a user\u2019s computer. An example w<\/span>o<\/span>uld be an <\/span>attack<\/span>\u00a0on other machi<\/span>ne<\/span>s to create a botnet.\u00a0<\/span>When a bot infects a computer, the computer is referred to as a \u201czombie<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0because it is<\/span>\u00a0now<\/span> under the control of the hacker.<\/span> Some of the uses of botnets are for distributing spam, injecting adware onto other computers, recruiting other computers for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trojan\u00a0<\/span>Horses<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Trojan Horses can cause severe harm to data such as deletion, <\/span>modification<\/span>, copying, stealing, and disruption of network activity. The malware is named Trojan Horse\u00a0<\/span>because it hides m<\/span>alware in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0normal file<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>This<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is a reference to the\u00a0<\/span>Greek tale<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of the<\/span>\u00a0use of a<\/span>\u00a0wooden horse used to fool the defenders of Troy into allowing the hidden soldiers into their city<\/span>\u00a0during the Trojan Wars<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Ransomware<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ransomware is a\u00a0<\/span>high-level<\/span> threat, as it holds the data on your computer hostage via file encryption, which often demands a fee to regain access to the data.<\/span> Never pay the fee requested by the attacker to unlock your data. Instead, do regular backups<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and if infected, restore your computer from your most recent backup.<\/span>\u00a0In the event that\u00a0this occurs\u00a0<\/span>to your computer<\/span>, please reach out to the Help Desk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Worms<\/span><\/h3>\n

A computer worm spreads as many copies of itself from computer to\u00a0<\/span>computer<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>A\u00a0<\/span>worm<\/span>\u00a0can replicate itself without any human interference and does not need\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0attach itself to a program to cause damage. Worms can\u00a0<\/span>change<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>delete<\/span>\u00a0files, and inject\u00a0<\/span>more<\/span>\u00a0malware onto the computer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can you protect yoursel<\/span>f<\/span>\u00a0from Malware?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The best way to avoid malware is to\u00a0<\/span>keep your devices healthy and up to date<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Critically, you can help<\/span>\u00a0to prevent malware from reaching your computer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>by installing an antivirus\/anti<\/span>–<\/span>malware program<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>You\u00a0<\/span>make<\/span>\u00a0sure to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>configure\u00a0<\/span>it to constantly\u00a0<\/span>scan for<\/span>\u00a0signs of malicious activity in downloads and active files.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Some recommended antivirus<\/span>\/anti-malware programs included Sophos, Bitdefender, and Malware Bytes. If you have questions about antivirus\/anti<\/span>-malware programs, please reach out to the Help Desk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/span><\/h2>\n

https:\/\/us.norton.com\/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-computer-virus.html<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/community.norton.com\/en\/blogs\/norton-protection-blog\/malware-101-what-malware<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.lifewire.com\/what-is-malware-2625933<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash What is Malware? Malware, which is a combination of the words malicious and software, is an umbrella term for any kind of software designed with malicious intent.\u00a0 Not all malware is destructive, though it can cause annoying\u00a0behaviors\u00a0such as\u00a0generating an abundance of pop-up ads or\u00a0cause\u00a0your computer to run slowly. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12,47],"tags":[],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-5807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cybersecurity","category-sta-article"],"acf":[],"gutentor_comment":0,"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash What is Malware? Malware, which is a combination of the words malicious and software, is an umbrella term for any kind of software designed with malicious intent.\u00a0 Not all malware is destructive, though it can cause annoying\u00a0behaviors\u00a0such as\u00a0generating an abundance of pop-up ads or\u00a0cause\u00a0your computer to run slowly. In addition to this, it can also steal data.\u00a0 What are some types of Malware?\u00a0 Viruses Viruses infect\u00a0program files and\/or personal files.\u00a0They are a malicious code or program written to change the way a computer\u00a0works\u00a0and is designed to spread from one computer to another.\u00a0 Adware\u00a0 Adware…<\/p>\n","category_list":"Cybersecurity<\/a>, STA Article<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Aubry Miller","url":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/author\/amiller22wooster-edu\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2020\/10\/markus-spiske-iar-afB0QQw-unsplash-scaled-1-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Aubry Miller","author_link":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/author\/amiller22wooster-edu\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash What is Malware? Malware, which is a combination of the words malicious and software, is an umbrella term for any kind of software designed with malicious intent.\u00a0 Not all malware is destructive, though it can cause annoying\u00a0behaviors\u00a0such as\u00a0generating an abundance of pop-up ads or\u00a0cause\u00a0your computer to run slowly. In…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5807"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23636,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5807\/revisions\/23636"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5807"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=5807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}