What Is Malware and How Does It Affect Your Computer?
Short for “malicious software,” malware is a general term that encompasses viruses, ransomware, spyware, Trojan horses, and more. Each type of malware has its own nuances and goals, but the common denominator is that malware was designed to do harm.
Many of today’s most prominent malware threats are designed to steal data and money. Criminals use them to infect corporate networks and encrypt business critical files with a ransom demand or simply expose sensitive information. Others are used by nation states to cause internet outages over a wide area or disrupt power infrastructure in an industrial espionage attack.
Viruses, worms, and Trojans are among the most commonly deployed malware programs. Each looks like a useful program or app, but once downloaded, it makes unauthorized changes to the system. These may include monitoring user behavior, changing search engine results, displaying pop-ups, adding icons to the desktop, or redirecting popular sites.
A common sign of a malware infection is a device that seems slow or sluggish in comparison to usual performance. Frequent machine crashes and/or data and power usage spikes are other indicators.
Some malware is designed to hide itself from the user and other software on the system while gaining root access, which gives attackers complete control of the infected device. Spyware is another common type of malware that monitors a victim’s activity, transmitting keystrokes and passwords to cyber attackers. These attackers can then monetize their exploit by selling the stolen data or installing additional programs that earn per-install revenue.