Malware, short for malware, is an umbrella term for viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other destructive computer systems that hackers use to cause destruction and gain access to sensitive information. In other words, the software is referred to as malware based on its intended malicious use. , than a specific strategy or generation used to create it.
This means that the question, for example, about what is the difference between malware and viruses, misses the point a bit: a virus is a type of malware, so all viruses are malware (but not all malware is a virus).
Malware has a long history, dating back to the inflamed floppy disks marketed by Apple II enthusiasts in the 1980s and the Morris computer virus to Unix machines in 1988.
Some high-profile malware attacks over the years include:
To dig deeper into the history of malware, check out 11 Notorious Malware Attacks: The First and the Worst.
Malware infections occur in two phases: first the initial infection (how the malware gets to a computer or network) and then the malware spreads.
According to Mandiant’s M-Trends report for 2024, exploits were the most sensitive initial infection vector in 2023, used in 38% of attacks, followed by phishing (17%), pre-compromise (15%), credential theft (10%), and brute force (6%) to weed out the top five.
You’ve probably heard the words virus, trojan, and computer virus used interchangeably. In fact, those terms describe three other types of malware, which are distinguished from others by the procedure by which they reproduce and spread.
Malware can also be installed on a computer “manually” through the attackers themselves, either by gaining physical access to the computer or elevating privileges to gain remote administrator access.
While some attackers may create malware as part of an intellectual exercise or with the goal of destroying, most are motivated by monetary gain. They may be looking for banking passwords or accessing secrets that they can sell or exploit, or they may be looking to take your computer and use it as a launchpad for a DDoS attack.
Once the malware runs on your computer, it can do a number of things, from simply rendering it unusable to causing you to lose and hand over the task to its remote attacker. Malware can also send data about sensitive knowledge to its creators.
Malware can also be a component of a politically motivated attack. Activists can use malware in their campaigns against corporations or governments, and state-sponsored hackers also create malware. In fact, two high-profile waves of malware were almost in fact introduced through domestic intelligence: Stuxnet was created across the United States and Israel to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program, while NotPetya would have possibly started as a Russian cyberattack on Ukrainian computers that temporarily spread beyond its intended targets (including in Russia).
There are other tactics for categorizing malware; The first is how malware spreads. We discussed this topic in the previous segment on how malware infections occur.
Another way to classify malware is according to what it does once it has effectively inflamed its victims’ computers. There is a wide variety of possible attack techniques used through malware:
Any express malware has an infection category and a behavioral category. So, for example, WannaCry is a ransomware worm. And a specific malware may have another bureaucracy with other attack vectors: for example, the Emotet banking malware has been detected in the wild as a Trojan horse and worm.
A review of the 10 Most Sensible Malware Authors set by the Center for Internet Security for the fourth quarter of 2023 gives you an intelligent idea of the types of malware being used today. NanoCore and Gh0st are RATs, CoinMiner is cryptocurrency malware, and SocGholish and RogueRaticate are downloaders.
Simply put, yes, malware affects mobile devices, and for Kaspersky, the risk is increasing. In 2023, attacks on mobile devices increased by 52% year-over-year, with adware accounting for 40. 8% of all detected risks.
Pegasus, a mobile spyware targeting iOS and Android, is on the CIS’s list of the smartest malware authors. Other common types of mobile malware include banking malware, mobile ransomware, and mobile adware.
Mobile malware in the news:
It’s quite possible, and maybe even likely, that your formula will get infected with malware at some point, despite your more productive efforts. How can you be sure? Security expert Roger Grimes provides perfect advice on the telltale symptoms of an attack, which can range from a sudden drop in your computer’s functionality to unforeseen mouse pointer movements. He has also written in-depth research on how to diagnose and stumble upon malware on Windows PCs, which you might find useful.
When you’re successful at the enterprise IT level, there are also more complex visibility teams you can use to see what’s happening in your networks and detect malware infections. Most malware bureaucracy uses the network to transmit or send data to its drivers. Therefore, network traffic comprises signs of malware infection that you might otherwise miss; There is a wide diversity of network monitoring equipment available, ranging in value from a few dollars to a few thousand. There is also SIEM equipment, derived from log control programs; These teams scan logs of various computers and devices in their infrastructure for symptoms of problems, adding malware infections. SIEM providers range from industry stalwarts like IBM and HP Enterprise to smaller specialists like Splunk and Alien Vault.
An important component of malware prevention boils down to intelligent cyber hygiene. At a minimum, you should follow these 7 steps:
Since spam and phishing emails are still one of the main vectors through which malware infects computers, one of the tactics to avoid malware is to make sure that your email systems are strictly locked and that your users know how to spot the dangers. Thoroughly check attachments and restrict potentially harmful user behavior, as well as simply familiarize your users with non-unusual phishing scams so that their common sense can come into play.
When it comes to more technical preventative measures, there are a number of steps you can take, including keeping all your systems patched and up to date, keeping a stock of hardware so you know what you want to protect, and performing continuous vulnerability testing of your infrastructure. . . For ransomware attacks in particular, one way to prepare is to back up your files, making sure that you never want to pay a ransom to get them back if your hard drive is encrypted.
Antivirus software is the most well-known product in the malware protection product category; Although the term “virus” is in the name, it misses the maximum bureaucracy of malware. Although high-level security professionals are outdated, it remains the backbone of fundamental anti-malware defense. The most productive antivirus software today comes from Kaspersky Lab, Symantec and Trend Micro, according to recent tests from AV-TEST.
When it comes to more complex enterprise networks, endpoint security offerings offer defense-in-depth against malware. They provide only the signature-based malware detection you’d expect from an antivirus, but also anti-spyware, non-public firewall, application control, and other styles of host intrusion prevention. Gartner offers a list of its most sensible picks in this space, which come with products from Cylance, CrowdStrike, and Carbon Black.
It is entirely possible, and perhaps even likely, that your formula will become infected with malware at some point, despite your most productive efforts. How can you be sure? Security expert Roger Grimes has a great advisor on the telltale symptoms of an attack, which can range from a sudden drop in your computer’s functionality to unexpected mouse pointer movements. He has also written an in-depth research on how to diagnose his PC for possible malware that you might find useful.
When you’re successful at the enterprise IT level, there are also more complex visibility teams you can use to see what’s happening in your networks and detect malware infections. Most malware bureaucracy uses the network to transmit or send data to its drivers. Therefore, network traffic comprises signs of malware infection that you might otherwise miss; There is a wide diversity of network monitoring equipment available, ranging in value from a few dollars to a few thousand. There is also SIEM equipment, derived from log control programs; These teams scan logs of various computers and devices in their infrastructure for symptoms of problems, adding malware infections. SIEM providers range from industry stalwarts like IBM and HP Enterprise to smaller specialists like Splunk and Alien Vault.
Antivirus software is the most well-known product in the malware protection product category; Although the term “virus” is in the name, most overlook the bureaucracy of malware. Although high-level security professionals are outdated, it remains the backbone of critical anti-malware defense.
When it comes to more complex enterprise networks, endpoint security provides a defense-in-depth against malware. Not only do they provide the signature-based malware detection you’d expect from an antivirus, but also anti-spyware, non-public firewall, application control, and other styles of host intrusion prevention. CSO provides guidance on how to provide endpoint security and provides a review of major vendors, adding BitFinder, Malwarebytes, and Sophos.
How to remove malware once you get inflamed is a million-dollar question. Malware removal is a complicated task, and the approach will likely vary depending on the type you’re dealing with. CSO contains information on how to delete it or otherwise recover it. rootkits, ransomware, and cryptojacking. We also have a consultant to audit your Windows registry so you know how to move forward.
If you’re looking for computers to clean up your system, Tech Radar has a clever array of free offerings, including familiar names in the antivirus world, as well as newcomers like Malwarebytes.
You can rely on cybercriminals to track the money. Victims will be targeted based on the likelihood of success of their malware and the potential payout amount. If you look at malware trends over the past few years, you’ll see some fluctuations in terms of the popularity of certain types of malware and identity. of the most common, all of them driven by what criminals believe has the highest return on investment.
Recent studies by cybersecurity firm Mandiant, on research into targeted attack activity conducted through the company in 2023, indicate attractive changes in malware tactics and goals. These include:
This article, originally written in 2019, has been updated to reflect existing trends.
Learn more about malware.
Josh Fruhlinger is an editor based in Los Angeles.