What is Malware and How Does it Affect You?
When you think of Malware, you probably imagine a virus that invades your computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone to steal, spy or destroy data. While viruses are still the most common form of malware, hackers and cybercriminals create malware with a variety of objectives in mind. These include:
Stealing information, credentials or payment information is a common goal. These attacks can be very expensive for individuals, businesses and governments that fall victim.
Exploiting security holes or bugs is another common objective. Attackers can use these vulnerabilities to gain access to systems and networks and then install malware. Examples include Trojans, worms, bots, keyloggers and spyware.
The final objective is destroying or disrupting systems and operations. This is often achieved with ransomware, cryptolocker threats and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
Attackers can spread malware using a variety of physical and virtual methods, including USB sticks, popular collaboration tools, drive-by downloads and browser hijacking. Once the malware has been installed, it will typically communicate with its command and control server for instructions or to download a secondary infection.
Detecting an attack can be difficult, especially for IT support teams. One of the best ways to detect malware is when users experience a decline in device performance, such as slowing or freezing. IT teams may also notice unusual network activity or a sudden increase in Internet traffic. This could be a sign that malware is sending or receiving data, changing configurations and disabling security solutions.