What Is Malware and How Does It Affect Your Computer?
Malware is a broad term that covers any type of malicious software. It can be used to infiltrate systems, cause damage or steal data. It includes everything from viruses, worms and Trojans to spyware, ransomware and bots.
The most common way malware infects PCs is through infected websites and files. This can happen when a user clicks on a malicious link in an email, downloads and installs rogue software, or plugs in an infected USB drive. Some forms of malware are designed to hide in all sorts of files, including image and document formats, and even software programs themselves.
When a system becomes infected with malware, it can be very difficult to get rid of the infection. This is especially true of malware that uses new evasion techniques and obfuscation tactics to fool users and antimalware products. These include polymorphic malware that changes its underlying code to avoid detection by signature-based detection tools, antisandboxing techniques that delay execution until out of the sandbox, and fileless malware that resides in RAM instead of disk.
Some types of malware have a clear goal in mind, such as making money for attackers. Banking trojans are designed to steal sensitive financial information, and ransomware extorts victims by holding their files and devices hostage for a fee. Other types of malware are used to spy on victims and compromise their personal, professional or industrial information. The Stuxnet worm showed how devastating malware can be to physical infrastructure, and recent massive data breaches have highlighted how important it is for organizations to protect their customers’ privacy.