Malware stands for malicious software. If you know about cyber threats, surely you will agree on the dangers of malware to a network, server, and device.
The problem is, malware is not a threat that can be easily predicted in advance. You can't tell if and when your network has been the target of a malware attack.
Therefore, understanding what malware is, its symptoms, and the types of malware is a must. Hopefully, this knowledge can make you ready to face it.
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What is Malware?
As discussed earlier, malware stands for malicious software, which means malicious program.
In essence, malware is a program designed by hackers to exploit and damage your device, server, or network.
In general, there are several reasons why attackers and hackers create and spread malware:
- Stealing information — one of the main targets is to obtain sensitive data such as credit card information, contacts, passwords, and other personal data. The bad news is that this data can be used to extort money or be sold to other parties on the internet.
- Computer control — hackers control your device and turn it into a botnet. In other words, your computer will be exploited to launch DDoS attacks against other networks or servers.
- Testing security — sometimes malware is also intentionally created to test the protection system and security of a service. For software developers, for example, malware is created to find the weak points of the program and be used as evaluation material for further development or updates.
- As an espionage tool — it is undeniable, malware is also used by a government or organization to attack activists, journalists, lawyers, or other governments/organizations. One example is the case known as The Million Dollar Dissident, a malware threat targeting Ahmed Mansoor (human rights activist from the United Arab Emirates).
- Gaining popularity — not infrequently, some hackers also use malware as a tool to prove their abilities, so that their name can be widely known.
Symptoms of Malware and How to Detect Them
what are the symptoms that usually occur when a device is infected with malware? Some of the signs or symptoms are as follows:
- Your device is slow, so you have trouble opening apps or the internet
- Your device repeatedly experiences BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) or restarts by itself
- When you open the internet, you are often directed to certain sites that you don't want to visit, and your browser is filled with new extensions or plugins.
- The appearance of many pop-up ads that offer certain rewards and redirect you to suspicious websites. For mobile devices, the pop-up also increases your data plan usage.
- There is an unreasonable consumption of device power such as disk space and battery.
- Your email, without your knowledge, sent suspicious messages or certain links to many of your contacts.
But keep in mind, some of the points above are only small part of the many symptoms that may occur to your device.
Therefore, to know for sure whether your device is indeed infected with malware or not, you can take advantage of the following features or tools:
For Windows users, you can use Windows Task Manager to find out if malicious programs are running on your device.
In addition, you can also take advantage of the virus & threat protection feature found in the Windows Defender program to scan for malware.
For Macbook users, you can start by checking if there are malicious applications installed on your device via the Applications folder (press Go > Applications or Shift + Command + A).
You can also use XProtect (Mac's built-in anti-malware program) or by using virus scanners like CleanMyMac X and Malwarebytes for Mac.
As for Android users, you can detect malware through the Google Play Protect feature.
To do this, open the Google Play Store application and click the hamburger menu (three-line button) in the upper left corner. Then, select Google Play Protect and hit the Scan button.
And for iPhone users, one of the steps is to analyze if there are any suspicious apps installed on your phone.
Access the App Store > press the icon located in the upper right corner > click Purchased.
Types of Malware
There are different types of malware. Let's discuss the most common types of malware.
Virus
Viruses are a type of malware that has the ability to reproduce and spread to multiple devices.
The purpose of the deployment is varied—from corrupting data, disabling devices and networks, stealing information, to creating botnets.
Usually, viruses are spread through websites, programs, files, or emails. This type of malware will not infect your device until you execute the file/program.
Suppose you download a document from the internet that has been infected with a virus. The virus will start replicating and spreading to your device once you run or open the file.
Worms
Like viruses, worms also have the ability to self-replicate. The difference is, this type can spread by itself without any action from the device user.
That is why worms spread very quickly from one network to another by exploiting the security weaknesses of these devices' operating systems and software.
Worms also have the ability to consume bandwidth and then overload your server. In addition, this type of malware can also delete and steal data and create botnets.
Trojans
Trojans, also known as trojan horses, can resemble harmless files or programs. So, many people are tricked, then download and use the program.
Trojans act as an entry point for hackers to access and take over your device/system.
That's why once the trojan is installed, attackers will then start spying on your activities, modifying data, and even infecting your device with other types of malware.
Spyware
As the name suggests, spyware was created to spy on and monitor your activity on the internet. Spyware is usually spread through freeware or shareware.
In addition, this type also has the ability to collect sensitive information from your device, from personal data, account information, to financial data.
Adware
Adware or advertising-supported software is designed to collect personal information and your activities on the internet for marketing purposes.
This type of malware then displays custom advertisements according to the data obtained.
But in other cases, adware also often brings up pop-up windows or advertisements that are not relevant to you.
Adware can also change browser settings, change the default browser used, and direct you to certain websites.
This type of malware is mostly embedded in free software, and is sometimes distributed along with spyware.
Ransomware
Ransomware is equipped with the ability to encrypt data, hard drives, and lock your device's system.
The bad news is, you won't be able to open the file until you give the creators of this malware a ransom.
Later, the attackers will display some conditions and instructions containing the steps you must take so that your data can be restored as before.
Conclusion
Malware is one of the biggest threats on the internet that can attack anyone, including you.
The bad news is that malware continues to evolve in terms of quality and distribution methods, making it difficult to detect and identify at times.
The AV-TEST Institute even released that there are more than 450,000 new malware registered every day.
That is why a layered security and protection strategy or layer approach is very important for you.
The trick is to equip your device or network with multiple layers of security, such as Firewall, anti-malware/anti-virus software, anti-spam, email and web filtering, and other security systems.
Also, make sure that your server or network is supported by qualified monitoring and patch/update management.
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