Malware

Surfing the internet comes with its due set of advantages and disadvantages, in the form of malicious software or malware. Are you wondering what malware is? What’s the story behind the evolution of malware and the purpose of creating malware? To answer all your questions, we will get into the concept of malware and the various types of malware in the cybercrime world. According to studies 57% of all malware are viruses.

What Is Malware?

Malware is a term used for a collection of viruses that cyber criminals going by hackers may release or use to gain entry into your computer to pose a risk of deletion of sensitive information or data. The purpose of creating malware for a hacker is to demand ransom or any undue financial gain from the person or entity suffering from a malware attack. There are various types of malware that hackers use to gain unauthorised entry into your system.

Evolution of Malware

The evolution of malware dates back to around almost as long as the creation of computers themselves. Since the invention of the earliest form of software viruses, the method and intent of malware have since evolved dramatically. The earliest known malware was created in 1949 by John Von Neumann and is known as “self-reproducing automata.” Understanding how to develop programs which can replicate and expand themselves across networks has resulted in numerous new advances, which has its pros and cons. With each and every advancement, the need for organisations as well as individuals to find new ways to protect their systems against malicious attacks has increased.

Threats of a Malware

The evolution of malware has posed a serious threat to your sensitive data, some of which are mentioned below:

• It destroys sensitive information stored in important folders of your computer.

• Hackers use fake downloads as a weapon for malware insurgency on your computer. Downloading or installing an antivirus software while surfing the net might contain harmful malware, so prevent yourself from doing so.

• Fake emails sent from unknown sources instructing you to open any image or a document saying you have won a lottery or a cash prize increases your curiosity level to its peak. Clicking on these unverified documents can launch a malware attack on your device.

• Adding phishing links by the hacker, which redirects the user to unidentified websites, might lead to dangerous malware creeping into your system.

Types of Malware

There are different types of malware designed to harm your device, such as the follows:

• Virus: It is a replicating malware that is attached to a file. If you run that file, the virus will spread completely, infecting your computer and damaging your files. It usually needs a trigger to be activated.

• Worms: A worm can spread independently without requiring any human intervention. Once a worm is installed, it multiplies itself and consumes a large part of your computer memory, reducing the performance level of your device.

• Trojan: It serves as a “malware installer” that installs various kinds of malware in the system without the user’s knowledge, allowing a hacker to pre-plan and conduct various cybercrimes.  

• Spyware: it acts as a surveillance tool to monitor a user’s activities on the internet. The evolution of malware has made it possible for hackers to check your emails and listen to your phone calls through spyware.

• Adware: It can redirect you to different websites that are completely unsafe, eventually slowing the functioning of your device. Malicious software can insert into your device through harmful ads, severely harming your device, so stay safe from such malware.

• Ransomware: It is a type of software that encrypts sensitive information so that the user cannot access it. Hacker sends an unverified link to the user. As soon as the user clicks on the link, the hacker starts encrypting information that he might find valuable, which a mathematical key can only unlock. The hacker demands a ransom or financial aid, and as soon as he receives the amount, he unlocks the restricted data.

Conclusion

In this topic, we have covered various aspects of malware, such as “what is a malware?”, its types, the threats it imposes, etc. Malware is nothing but software designed to corrupt your system. Here we have discussed the various types of malware like viruses, worms, Trojan, adware, spyware, and ransomware.