What is Malware? 7 Types of Malware You Should Know

Imagine with a fresh morning you started working from the office. When you turn on your computer, everything is not in place. You are trying to sort the problem, and then your colleague says he is also facing the same issue. Instead of seeing the desktop, a countdown clock is appearing with the blood-red screen. “Your file is protected. If you don’t pay, your files will be erased”. This scenario is Malware.

Not all Malware is dramatically promoting itself. You may be install malware that you aren’t aware of, who is dragging down your device or invading your privacy.

How Does Malware Spread?

After understanding what is Malware, let see how it spreads or works. Each form of Malware has its method of wreaking havoc, and most of them depend on user action somehow. A link or executable file may deliver some strains via email. Others are sent via social media or instant messaging. Even mobile phones get attacked. To establish an efficient defensive line, organizations need to be aware of all vulnerabilities. You can read the types of malware below to understand it better.

What could happen when you click those suspicious links?

• The malware can get downloaded and auto-replicated in various areas of the file system.
• Installing programs that record keystrokes or commander device services, often without the user’s knowledge, thus significantly slowing down the system.
• Blocking connections to files, applications, or sometimes the whole machine requires the user to pay a fee to restore access.
• Ads are scattered around a browser or a computer’s desktop.
• Breaking critical machine components and leaving a computer useless.

Related: 8 Ways to Keep Your Computer Safe From Hackers and Cyber Attacks

7 Types of Malware You Should Know

1. Virus

Most common Malware binds their deceptive code to clean code and waits for an unwitting user or an automatic method to run it. They will spread rapidly and broadly, almost like a biological virus, causing harm to systems’ key functions, corrupting data, and freezing users out of their devices. Typically, they are embedded inside a binary format.

2. Worms

Worms are called Malware because of the way they infect networks. They weave their way around the network, beginning from one infected computer and linking to subsequent devices. This kind of Malware can infiltrate whole networks of computers rapidly.

3. Spyware

Spyware is embedded software that collects and transmits user personal information or web browsing patterns and data, ideally without your prior knowledge. It allows people to spy on the victim’s family, children, and colleagues. They can track all modes of contact on a specific instrument. Spyware is sometimes used to test and control communications in a confidential situation or during an investigation by law enforcement authorities, government departments, and information security organizations.

4. Adware

You might have noticed an unwanted ad bombarded at your screen for no reason, then it is Adware. Adware applications bombard consumers with unwelcome ads, which usually appear as flickering advertisements or popup windows. Adwares usually get installed with other software or on visiting spammy websites.

5. Ransomware

Ransomware is a destructive malware that lets hackers get access to personal information and encrypt that so that users can not access it and then exchange data release demands monetary payment. It is usually part of a hoax of phishing. The user installs the ransomware by clicking on suspicious links or email attachments. The attacker then encrypts such data that only a cryptographic key he knows can unlock. The data is unlocked until the intruder accepts payment.

Read: How to Enable Ransomware Protection in Windows 11

6. Trojan virus

Trojan horses, or Trojans, are computer viruses that spread through social manipulation. A Trojan persuades unsuspecting users to mount itself by imitating something else. Another Trojan trick is to write auto-installing viruses into a USB memory stick and then hand it over to an unwitting user.

7. Fileless Malware

The virus that uses authorized programs to infect a device is known as Fileless Malware. There are no virus archives to search and no malicious operations to find in Fileless malware registry attacks. It is difficult to locate and delete since it does not depend on files and leaves no trace.

How Can I Protect Myself from Malware?

• Keep your operating system and applications updated to the latest versions. Cybercriminals search for flaws in old or obsolete applications and use those flaws to get access to your device. So make sure you install updates as soon as they’re available.
• Keep the number of applications on your smartphones to a minimum. Download just the ones you believe you’ll need daily. Often, delete any apps you are no longer using.
• Avoid clicking on unfamiliar links. If a link is unknown, whether it arrives via email, a social networking site, or a text message, avoid it.
• Emails demanding personal information must be avoided. Do not open a link in an email that seems to come from your bank and instructs you to reset your password or enter your account. Check in to your online banking account right away.
• If you are not a pro user familiar with this malware, consider installing a good and paid anti-malware program.

Also Read: Top 5 Best Antivirus For Windows 10, 8 and 7 (Free & Paid)

Final word

According to the Malwarebytes survey, malware detections decreased by 26% globally. Malware detections in companies, on the other hand, increased by 28%. Some of the most targeted industries are Consulting, education, manufacturing, and retail. Criminals target these markets because of the potential and possibility of receiving ransom payments. The above guide explains how you can be protected from Malware by taking the necessary precautions.