8 Types Of Malware And How It Impacts Your Computer

The term Malware is thrown around too often but what does Malware mean?

The term Malware is often used when discussing security and tools to prevent infection from attackers or malicious content.

There can be various types of Malware that can cause utter devastation to your computer systems. For example Malware such as Adware, Ransomware, Spyware.

Lots of different types of Malware can also affect servers as well as local machines, we published a blog post on How To Prevent Malware In The Cloud.

What are the signs that I might be affected?

Often there is a clear indication that you are affected but sometimes it is not so obvious, some signs that you are affected are:

Crashing

Email sent from your account without your knowledge

Freezing

Issues connecting to networks

Pop-up ads

Programs running or shutting down on their own

Slow performance

If you are affected by any of the above then a professional IT engineer can remove them for you, we would be happy to help if you complete our form below

Different types of Malware

Bug – Bugs are often accidental flaws in a program’s source code impacting program usability, and in extreme cases, causing system crashes.

Adware – Adware, also known as advertising-supported software, displays advertisements like pop-ups.

Ransomware – Ransomware is designed to prevent you from accessing your computer until you pay a sum of money.

This type of malware hit computers hard in recent months with ransomware outbreaks like WannaCry, Bad Rabbit, and NotPetya.

Companies our individuals receive demands to hand over money for an encryption key to get their data back.

Root-kit – A root-kit accesses or controls your laptop or computer. Whoever has control of the rootkit is able to access files, modify the software and steal information.

Spyware – Through spyware, hackers are able to watch your activity without your knowledge.

Trojan Horse – True to its name, a Trojan horse is malicious software that disguises itself as an average file or program in order to trick users into downloading it.

Virus – A computer virus attaches itself to your files and slowly but surely spreads to other files. Eventually, all of your system’s files may be deleted or corrupt.

Worms – A worm can infect an entire network of devices through network interfaces.

As you can see there are lots of types of Malware and all the above software would have a detrimental effect on your productivity.

In the case of Ransomware you can be completely locked out of all your data and without a successful backup there may be no way to restore it.

The ideal situation is to prevent infection, to do so please be vigilant with everything you download.

Every email you receive ask yourself if you were expecting it if an email contains a link to a document don’t open it unless you can verify the authenticity.

You should always install Antivirus and Malware protection, keeping adequate protection especially in a business environment is essential but can also come down to a Compliance issue.

Not all Antivirus products protect you from the different types of Malware, please always be careful when choosing a product.

We identified the different types of Malware, what now?

If you would like to learn more or would like to discuss working together, complete our online form below.

Alternatively, book an appointment via our scheduler or call 01423 438953