BotNet News

Malware is malicious software that attackers use to steal or harm you and your organization. While malware can’t damage physical hardware or network equipment, it can encrypt or delete your data, alter or hijack core computer functions and spy on your activity without your knowledge or consent. The motives behind malware attacks vary, from making money to disrupting your business for political or criminal reasons.

The first wave of modern malware started in the 1990s, with attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in popular operating systems like Microsoft Windows. They also used social networks such as Myspace to distribute rogue applications, and later adapted to use Facebook and Twitter to spread spam, phishing pages and malware. In the 2000s, viruses became a major threat as attackers started to hide snippets of their code inside other executable programs (like Word documents’ macro language). They then injected the snippets into these apps when users opened them, spreading infections to devices that ran those apps.

More recently, the emergence of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin has given rise to another hugely successful form of malware called ransomware. These attacks encrypt files on a device or network and don’t allow you to access them until you pay a ransom in cryptocurrency. Attackers deliver this type of malware through Trojans, exploits and malvertising, and it can be extremely difficult to detect. Infected devices typically experience slowdowns and a significant increase in Internet activity as they connect to an attacker’s command and control servers for instructions and to download secondary infections, like more ransomware. IT and security teams should look for an influx of tickets from users who report their devices are crashing, slowing down or flooding with pop-ups. They should also monitor the organization’s infrastructure and devices for unusual patterns, such as processes using more bandwidth than usual or devices communicating with unknown servers.