Whenever your computer starts acting weird and making it hard for you to work, the first thing that comes to mind is whether a virus is affecting your computer or not.
Sometimes, your fear can come true. Therefore, it will be helpful to know about these enemies to your computer and understand the basics of how they work. That can help you deal with them faster and better.
Malware is any malicious program or software designed to exploit computer users. Malware is basically a general term that includes computer viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, rootkits, etc. Some attack computer programs and files while others attack users’ confidential data. Let’s have a detailed look at how they work.
What is a virus?
Like biological viruses that self-replicate in human cells, computer viruses self-replicate in computer memory when initiated by a user. Not only are they self-replicating, but they can also contain some malicious code that can affect your files, operating system or even your master boot record, thus causing your computer to start up slowly or not at all.
There are different types of viruses, some adversely affect the system and make it completely unusable while some are just written to annoy the users. Disabling the task manager or desktop wallpaper is one of the most common ways that virus creators use to annoy users.
Since viruses always need human action to initiate themselves, in computers most of them attach themselves to an executable .exe file because the virus knows that eventually the user will double click on that file to run and that’s all the virus needs to infect the computer. Yes, unfortunately, most viruses are initiated by computer users by accident, and so it is important that when you install and run programs, you know in advance that you have obtained them from a trusted source.
What is a worm?
The worm is in fact an evolved form of the virus. Like viruses, worms also self-replicate and spread, but it happens on a slightly larger scale. Also, unlike viruses, worms don’t need human action to replicate and spread, and that’s what makes it more dangerous.
A worm is always looking for network vulnerabilities to replicate from one computer to another, and thus the most common way of getting in are email and IM attachments. Since the infection is network-based, a good firewall along with anti-virus software is required to control the worm attack. In addition, this means that email attachments should not be downloaded blindly or clicked on links that friends share with you in chat windows. Double check before you do that.
What is the Trojan horse?
Trojan horse or simply Trojan is a bit interesting. A Trojan horse is a program that appears to be useful by pretending to do certain things in the foreground, but in reality, they are silently working in the background with the sole goal of harming your computer and/or stealing valuable information.
Let me explain this metaphorically.
Let’s say you are the CEO of a company and there is an employee in your company who you think is a valuable asset because of some of the early success he has brought to your company. In fact, that employee is working for your competitor and destroying your company from the inside. Now these types of employees can be considered a Trojan horse if you consider the company as your computer.
The most common way to invite a Trojan horse to your computer is to download malware like keys, cracks, free illegal music, software, etc from an unknown source. Therefore, the best way to stay away from Trojans is to make sure you install software from trusted sources.
What is spyware?
Spyware are also malicious computer programs that can be installed on a computer but unlike any of the above, they do not harm your computer in any way. Instead, they attack you!
Once installed on the system, they will run in the background and continue to collect user’s personal data. This data can include credit card numbers, passwords, important files, and more personal stuff.
Spyware can track your keystrokes, scan and read your computer files, snoop on IM chats and emails, and other things God knows. Therefore, again, you should download and install software from trusted sources.
What are rootkits?
Rootkits are computer programs designed by attackers to gain root or administrative access to your computer. Once an attacker gains administrator privileges, it becomes an easy passage for him to exploit your system.
We have discussed rootkit in detail before, and you can check it out for in-depth knowledge.
Conclusion
All in all, all these malware we discussed have probably been around since the advent of programming innovation, and over time they have become more complex and harder to deal with. That doesn’t mean you should worry too much. We’ve talked about tools like virus scanners and spyware removal before, so make sure you always protect your computer with those tools. If you’re careful enough, chances are you won’t have to worry about them.
Image credits: Marcelo Alves, Tama Leaver, Flausn, half_empty
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
