What Is Malware And It's Types? Everything You Need To Know!

Malware is malicious designed to damage and destroy computers and operating networks. Malware is an acronym for "malicious malware," including viruses, worms, trojan viruses, spyware, adware, ransomware, etc.

Malware is a file or application that is usually distributed over a network, infecting, exploring, stealing or performing practically any action that an attacker needs. Malware typically has one of the following goals, albeit varied in nature and capabilities: to provide remote control for an intruder to use an infected computer.

Image Source : Pixabay

• Submit Spam to unintended targets from the infected network.

• Investigate the local network of the infected User.

• Steal data which is important.
• 
  

Malware is an descriptive term for all malware forms including:

Types of malware

Viruses

Viruses are subgroups that deal with malware. A virus is malicious software attached to a document or file that supports host-to-host macros to execute and propagate their code. When downloaded, the virus will lie dormant until the file opens and is in use. Viruses are designed to impair a device's operating power. Consequently, viruses can cause major operational issues and data loss.

Programs that copy onto a device or network. Viruses piggyback to existing programs and can only be enabled when the software is accessed by a user. At their worst, viruses can corrupt or remove data, disperse the user's email, or erase it all on a hard drive.

Trojan virus

Trojan viruses are dressed up as useful software programs. If the user installs it, however, the Trojan virus will access sensitive data and then alter, block, or remove the data. That can be very harmful to the device's output. Trojan viruses are not intended to self-replicate in comparison to regular viruses and worms.

Malware hidden in applications which appears to be legitimate. When enabled, Trojans can carry out whatever action they are programmed to perform. Trojans do not replicate or reproduce by infection as against viruses and worms. "Trojan" alludes to Greek soldiers' mythological tale concealed inside a wooden horse given to Troy's enemy city.

Worms

Worms is a malicious software which replicates and spreads rapidly to any computer within the network. Unlike viruses, the worms do not need to disseminate host programs. Before it multiplies and disperses at an exponential pace, a worm infects a computer via a downloaded file or a network connection. As with viruses, worms can seriously interrupt system operations and cause data loss.

Auto-replicating viruses that exploit security vulnerabilities to propagate rapidly through computers and networks. Unlike other viruses, worms do not bind or modify existing programs. They usually go unnoticed before replication reaches a scale that consumes significant device or network bandwidth resources.

Adware

Adware is malicious software used to collect data about your device use and to supply you with targeted ads. Although adware isn't necessarily harmful, adware can cause problems for your device in some cases. Adware will redirect your browser to unsafe pages, and may even contain horses and spyware from Trojan. Furthermore, large adware levels will significantly slow down your device. Since not all adware is malicious, it's necessary to have security that scans these programs constantly and intelligently.

Spyware

Spyware is malicious software running secretly on a computer, and reporting to a remote user. Instead of simply disrupting a computer's operations, spyware targets sensitive information, and can offer remote access to predators. Spyware is often used for the theft of financial or personal information. A specific type of spyware is a keylogger that records the keystrokes to reveal personal information and passwords.

Ransomware

Ransomware is malicious software that gains access to confidential information inside a network, encrypts the information so that it is not available to the user, and then requests a financial payoff for releasing the data. Ransomware normally forms part of a phishing scheme. The user downloads the ransomware, by clicking a disguised connection. The attacker continues to encrypt sensitive information that only a mathematical key they know can unlock. When payment is received by the intruder the data will be released.

Fileless malware

Fileless malware is a kind of malware living in the brain. It is malware, as the term implies, that operates from memory of a victim's device, not from files on the hard drive. Because there are no files to search, the identification of conventional malware is more difficult than that. This also makes forensics more complicated because, when the infected device is rebooted, the malware disappears. The Cisco Talos Threat Intelligence team posted an example of fileless malware they called DNSMessenger in late 2017.

How malware works? 

A variety of physical and virtual means are used by malware authors to propagate malware that infects computers and networks. For instance, malicious programs can be distributed to a USB drive system, or they can be spread over the internet through drive-by-downloads, which would automatically download malicious programs to computers without user permission or consciousness. Phishing attacks are another common sort of malware delivery, during which emails disguised as legitimate messages include harmful links or attachments which will supply unaware users with the executable malware. Sophisticated ransomware attacks also contain a command-and-control infrastructure that helps threat actors to connect with the infected devices, exfiltrate confidential data, and even remotely monitor the computer or infrastructure that has been compromised.

Emerging types of ransomware involve modern methods of deception and obfuscation intended to trick not just consumers but also network managers and anti-malware devices. Many of these evasion strategies are focused on basic methods, such as utilizing online proxy to mask unwanted traffic or IP addresses from source. More advanced threats involve polymorphic malware, which may constantly alter the underlying code to prevent detection by signature-based detection methods, anti-sandbox strategies, which allow malware to identify when evaluated and pause execution until after entering the sandbox, and fileless malware, which only exists in the RAM of the device to prevent becoming discovered.

Where do I detect malware, and respond?

Inevitably, malware penetrates the network. You need to provide protections that offer substantial visibility and detection of breaches. To delete malware, you must be in a position to quickly detect malicious actors. That requires continuous inspection of networks. When the vulnerability is detected, the malware has to be removed from your network. Today's antivirus software do not provide adequate protection against sophisticated cyber threats. Learn how to change your plan about antivirus.

How do I protect my Network from malware?

Companies usually rely on prevention measures to avoid the breaches. Undertakings believe they are secure by protecting the perimeter. Nonetheless, some sophisticated malware will inevitably be finding its way through your network. Consequently, the implementation of technologies that continuously track and detect malware that has evaded perimeter defenses is crucial. Sufficient advanced malware security requires several layers of protections along with visibility and intelligence at a high level of the network.