Malware and Ransomware – What is Malware and How Does it Affect Your Organization?
Malware is a generic term for malicious software designed to steal data, disrupt systems and cause chaos. While it doesn’t typically damage physical hardware, malware can destroy passwords, encrypt and lock up files and demand payment for their return, spy on you to collect personal information, and hijack devices or networks to run botnets and conduct industrial espionage. The motives behind malware attacks are as varied as the attackers themselves, but they share one common goal: to profit or gain an advantage at the expense of the victim.
While malware can be delivered through phishing links, email attachments and compromised websites, it is more often distributed by rogue apps or programs that appear to be benign. Programs that slow your device or application performance, display pop-up ads and/or monitor your activity fall into this category. This type of malware is usually bundled with free software downloads and can be spread through a variety of channels including peer-to-peer networks, social media sites and web search engines.
From 2007 to 2009, hackers used popular social networking sites such as Myspace and Twitter to distribute rogue applications, links to phishing pages and malware. In 2013, a new form of malware exploded in popularity: ransomware. This malware encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them, often from business or organizational partners that have been targeted because of their reputation or size.
The most effective way to defend against malware is to practice basic security hygiene, such as creating strong and unique passwords for all accounts and devices; enabling multifactor authentication whenever possible; and regularly backing up critical data offsite or offline to prevent it from being encrypted by ransomware. Additionally, organizations can take proactive steps to ensure that malware cannot be downloaded by establishing strict policies and deploying robust endpoint protection tools.