Rarely a day goes by where there isn’t some talk about malware in the cybersecurity space. After all, it is a significant problem for even the smallest of organizations, costing businesses hundreds of thousands. And yet there seems to be a general lack of understanding of what this malicious software is and what it can do.
What are the different types of malware and how do we protect against it? Without good comprehension of this extremely pervasive problem-causer, chances are your business will be at risk.
Malware: What exactly is it?
Malware is short for malicious software which covers everything from viruses, adware, spyware, and fake security software. Although it was first developed to gain access to a person’s computer or network through a physical device such as a flash drive, today many cyber attackers use phishing schemes and even ads in search results to trick users into downloading malicious files or programs. It can also be difficult to remove and, most importantly, threatens the privacy and security of your computer and the information stored there.
What are the different types of malware?
There is an extensive amount of malicious software out there, but here are the top six major threats:
- Viruses are the most commonly known form of malware. These are code or software that can copy itself onto a computer’s hard drive and files. Once copied, viruses create a wide variety of mischief; from hijacking the device to deleting all the data.
- Spyware is exactly what it sounds like; software that spies on you, monitoring and sharing your personal information. And it doesn’t just look at the data stored on the device; spyware also accesses messages, browser history, information on applications, and much more.
- Adware describes those annoying online pop-up advertisements. It often seems like the only way to avoid them is to click through. Ironically, clicking through serves as a revenue source for cybercriminals.
- Computer Worms exploit vulnerabilities in a user’s operating system or software and then spreads throughout networks and applications without any additional human interaction.
- Ransomware is another form of malware we often hear about. Usually delivered via an attachment or link in a phishing email, if a user clicks on either, it will encrypt and lock down their systems until the ransom is paid.
- Tragedy-Related Scams capitalize on recent tragic events. Also delivered via email, these messages often ask for charitable donations and lead users to malware-infected websites.
Prevention
Thankfully, some of the most basic cybersecurity practices will keep malware from affecting your day-to-day. For example, making sure your software and operating systems are up to date and patched appropriately. Hardware patches are one of the biggest things people miss and can lead to serious problems. If your organization hasn’t already, installing cybersecurity solutions such as firewalls, endpoint scanning, email filtering, and network traffic analysis will also be key to keeping malware at bay.
No matter how many preventative programs you install, without employee education, social engineering schemes will win the day. That’s why we suggest users become more adept and wary of emails. Pay attention to the email addresses of incoming messages and take notice of scare tactics that might have been used. If you are suspicious, don’t open any attachments and certainly don’t click embedded links.
Now is the time to be vigilant, and if you don’t know enough, the easier target you become. Curious about better ways to protect yourself and your organization? Give us a call at 920-297-5000