How to Know when Malware has Attacked Your Computer - A Lesson in Anti-Virus Protection!

How to Know when Malware has Attacked Your Computer - A Lesson in Anti-Virus Protection!

Malware, or malicious software, is software that is intended to cause disruption to a computer system. It may also be used to gain access to private computers in order to gain personal or financial information. The term is used to describe any software that is hostile or intrusive. Malware comes in a number of different forms.  To help you understand a bit more, we would like to help you learn about the different types of malware.  Check them out below:

1.   Viruses

Viruses are the most common form of malware and are often transmitted onto the computer through an email with an infected attachment or a device that can be used on a number of computers such as a flash drive. The impact the virus has on your computer will depend on the function of the virus which can range from simply slowing your computer down to deleting important files. 

1. Worms

Worms are very similar to viruses but they are two different types of malware. Like a virus, it has the ability to self-replicate, but instead of moving between machines a worm can infect a number of computers through attaching itself to network traffic. It can inflict damage by deleting files and can even create a backdoor which allows hackers to take control of the system.

1. Trojan Horses

A Trojan Horse is one of the most dangerous forms of malware because it presents itself as a harmless attachment or piece of software. Once it is installed on your computer it can unload viruses, worms or spyware. It cannot be classified as a virus in its own right as it does not have the ability to self-replicate.

1. Spyware

Spyware is not intended to inflict damage on your computer. Instead it tracks and reports on your activity without consent. Signs that you have spyware on your computer include redirects from your search engine, frequent displaying of pop-ups and sudden modifications to your web browser. Spyware usually becomes installed on your computer after being hidden within other software.

1. Rootkits

Rootkits are used by hackers to give them all the access to the computer that a system administrator has from a remote location. They can be single programs or a collection of programs. Rootkits are sophisticated programs that can protect hackers from being discovered. They are often used to infect other computers which are enslaved as zombies. These computers are then instructed to attack other machines, distribute spam and steal passwords. Any attempts to locate the hacker will only lead back to the infected machines.

Malware can cause a variety of problems on the computer that it infects but using good anti-virus and anti-malware software can protect the computer from these types of threats. Using a firewall is also recommended and will help to protect your computer. The anti virus software packages do not have to be expensive.  There are many great deals to pick from. For it to be the most effective, the software needs to be updated on a regular basis in order to protect your computer from new threats. There are also steps you can take to protect your computer from viruses such as not opening email attachments from sources you do not trust. 

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