![]() NOTE: I do not support or promote any particular antivirus software. Depending on the threat potential, virus scanner, and settings, the malware may be deleted instantly or the user will be asked what to do with the malicious software. The scanners look for certain patterns of code or specific characteristics of malware. Virus scanners are security applications that search the system for malware. A well-known example is the Cookie Monster virus ( (computer_program)) that simply makes messages saying it wants a cookie. Malware developers might make a computer virus as a prank to bother people. Proto-Virus - Some malware is simply annoying. Ransomware really locks the system while scareware bluffs. Ransomware locks the computer and files and will not lift the restrictions until the user pays a ransom. Ransomware - Ransomware is similar to scareware. In summary, scareware scares computer users into paying money or installing malware to protect themselves against a nonexistent threat. The scanner then asks the user to pay money to have the virus removed. This virus scan does not scan the system, but pretends to do so. Scareware may also come in the form of a free virus scan over the Internet. For illustration, scareware may pop up a message that says something like "Your data will be deleted unless you pay $100.". Scareware - Malware that scares users into downloading malicious software or paying money for the fix is scareware. Because this software is not malware, but can be dangerous is called riskware. These applications can be used by malware to cause a lot of damage. Riskware - Software with unintended malicious potential. Zombies - Computer zombies are computers that are controlled by a malicious hacker, trojan, or computer virus to complete malicious tasks. Viruses - Computer viruses are replicating code that spread by hiding inside of infected applications and installers. As a general rule, if a user brought it into the system, then it is a virus, else if the malware got in without user intervention, then it is a worm. Viruses come on programs that users download and worms break in through the network. Simple, viruses attach to programs and worms are standalone software. Many readers may ask "What is the difference between a virus and worm?". Most rely on networks for transportation. Worms - A computer worm is a replicating program that spreads to other computers. Because most Linux developers make applications open-source, not very many Linux adware programs can be found. The ads just fund the development of Flashget. For instance, Flashget is a freeware Windows application that is adware. Adware - Software that displays ads is considered adware. Spyware can be trojans and some trojans can be spyware. Spyware - This malware gathers a user's private data (financial info, passwords, usernames, etc.) and sends it to the spyware maker or other entity that will use the information. Trojans not only take private data, but they may sneak in ads or destroy the system. The data would then be sent to the hacker. Additionally, the hacker can hack a real application that handles sensitive data. Instead, the username, site, and password combinations are sent to the trojan maker instead of storing the data - this would be a spyware trojan. ![]() For illustration, a hacker could make a password manager that will supposedly store the users passwords and enter them in for the user. ![]() ![]() Trojan - In a simple summary, trojans hide in applications to get into a user's system or they act as a program themselves. Many of the malware categories overlap like trojans and spyware. ![]() Malware includes any software that harms a system, data, or processes/applications. Types of Malware: Malware - Simply, malware is "bad" software. For private computers, it is up to the user to determine if they want antivirus software. Personally, I recommend antivirus software for servers and important and business computer systems. It is up to the user to decide if they need antivirus software. True, malware for Linux exists, but is rare. NOTE: I am not suggesting that people should not use antivirus software. To better understand antivirus programs, it may be beneficial to understand malware itself. Thankfully, low-footprint software exists for Linux. Some users may argue that antivirus software uses up too much resources. It is still recommended that Linux users have antivirus software installed on Linux systems that are on a network or that have files being transferred to the device. Thankfully, very few viruses exist for Linux, so users typically do not install antivirus software. All computer systems can suffer from malware and viruses, including Linux. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |