We explain what malware is and the types of malware that exist. Also, where it comes from and how to protect ourselves from this software.
What is malware?
In computing it is understood as malware (English contraction of maliciouyes softwarei.e. “malicious program”) to the different forms of malicious software whose objective is to infiltrate a computer system and once carry out a series of covert activities, ranging from sabotage of the system itself, the theft of confidential data, the appropriation of its computer resources and/or the contagion of other systems. that can be networked.
This type of harmful programs appeared during the 1980s when personal computers began to become popular throughout the world, and currently have the Internet as their favorite means of propagation, either through suspicious email (Spam), infected web pages, shared files online, etc.
The origin of malware and computer viruses may have initially been as a joke or a game, by young programmers, unaware of the damage they could cause. However, since then the malicious software has evolved and grown in illegal uses to the point that the use of antivirus tools has become imperative.
According to reports from the company F-Secure, in 2007 there would have been as much malware produced as in the previous 20 years, and according to Panda Security, in 2011 73,000 new computer threats were created per day, which exceeds the production of legal software with you grow
See also: Firewall
Types of malware
According to its propagation method, we can talk about various types of malware, such as:
- Viruses and worms (worms). This is software that invades the system and performs harmful actions, such as deleting critical components of the Operating System, after having used its resources to send itself by email or other means, thus spreading the infection.
- Hidden malware These are harmful programs whose entry into the system and its actions occur silently, without the user noticing.
- Trojans Disguised as something harmless or beneficial, these programs invite the user to run them, and then open the door to hundreds of other malicious programs.
- Backdoors. Its name in English means “back door”, since it allows third parties to access the computer system, evading the usual controls and communication protocols.
- Drive-by downloads. Malicious pieces of software that are automatically downloaded by certain Web pages without asking the user for authorization or allowing them to stop it in time, opening the door to other forms of virtual invasion.
- Rootkits These are techniques for modifying key files of the Operating System, to allow the malware present to remain hidden from the installed detection programs.
- Advertising malware
- Spyware. Programs that secretly collect information from the pages visited on the Internet and use it to bombard us with Spam.
- Adware They work the same as spyware, but showing us online advertising while we browse.
- Hijackers “Hijacking” programs that modify the configuration of the Internet browser, forcing it to start on a certain Web page or display certain messages.
- Information hijackers
- Keyloggers Programs that secretly collect user passwords and send them to an anonymous requester, such as credit card numbers, etc.
- Stealers. Similar to keyloggers, they steal sensitive user information, but only that which is stored on the computer.
- Dialers. No longer so popular since the bulk of Internet connections are broadband, these programs stole telephone signals and allowed illegal remote calls to be made.
- Botnets This is the name given to groups of computers that respond to instructions from third parties remotely and secretly, allowing them to indirectly send Spam or viruses, making it more difficult for the source to be traced.
- Ransomware Various forms of software hack into online user accounts, modify the password, and then demand a ransom payment to unlock it.
Where does malware come from?
We come into contact with malware in a variety of ways, on high-traffic sites like pornographic networks or gambling sites or by opening suspicious email attachments.
Mostly malware comes from China and the United States the largest software producers in the world, or other similar nations. Occasionally these malicious programs can even come from well-known companies, hidden in their products.
A famous case has been that of the process “Windows Telemetry” that include new versions of Windows, and that is capable of collecting information about user habits and secretly sending them to Microsoft, using system resources.
How to protect ourselves from malware?
The best option to protect yourself from malware is install an antivirus and antimalware program on your computer which must be up to date with their virus definitions, and to which we must grant the necessary permissions to supervise the entry of unsolicited software into the system.
It is also useful to have the Operating System and our main applications updated, since many security updates compensate for system weaknesses that can be exploited by these malicious programs.
And as a digital hygiene measure, You should avoid installing unknown software on the machine, as well as opening suspicious emails, much less clicking on advertisements that seem too good to be true.
