What is Malware and Common Types of Malware?

As we know that everything has two sides if we are getting benefit from something there might occur some other side of that particular thing as well that might hamper us. We all know how good Internet is, we collect tons n tons of information from it that help us in growing our knowledge base, as there are people who are working for the good of Internet there also exists some bad people whom we call as black hat people who are there to infect the Internet and they found joy and pleasure in doing such.
These Infectious programs are called as Malware. The amount and variety of Malicious programs that are there over the web are enough to make our head spin and can really prove a big headache to our work if we get hampered by one of them.

I will try to define the different types of Malware that have been spread over the web and I will also look to add few points that how can we protect our systems from them. Before I get into the types of Malware, first of all, I would like to give a brief description of Malware itself.

What is Malware?

Malware is short for Malicious Software, We can define Malware as a small piece of code that has been developed to hamper the systems of People over the Web. This small piece of code have been designed and implemented in such a way that can be used to compromise the security of a computer system, steal information and bypass the access control and harm the system in a big way.This article will focus on some of the most common types of Malware:

• Adware
Adware(short for advertising-supported software) is a kind of malware that delivers advertisements automatically without the permission of the user. As we visit a number of websites every day we often notice that pop up ads are coming and there is advertisement flashing on the websites are common examples of adware.Adware is mostly generated with the purpose of generating revenues.
• Bot
Bots are the software programs or piece of codes that are created to perform certain operations automatically. I am not saying that every Bot is created with the purpose of hampering a system or stealing information, there is good bot program as well like chat bot etc. But nowadays it has become a common practice to develop malicious bots, one of the areas where bots are majorly used is DOS attack that is Denial of Service , a bot is designed whose work will only be to hit the server of a particular website so that the server gets crashed and it won't be able to deliver the services. Websites can guard against bots with CAPTCHA tests that verify users as human.


• Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that gets into a computer system and acquire a lock on it and from the owner of the system demands a ransom.The malware restricts user access to the computer either by encrypting files on the hard drive or locking down the system and displaying messages that are intended to force the user to pay the malware creator to remove the restrictions and regain access to their computer.


• Spyware
Spyware can be defined as the type of Malware program that keeps an eye on the activities of the user without his knowledge. Adware generally comes with spyware programs and gets installed on the user system if the user clicks on the pop-ups or advertisements. Spyware generally looks to steal sensitive information from the user's system and also take a note of user's financial data.


• Trojan Horse
A Trojan horse, commonly known as a “Trojan,” is a type of malware that disguises itself as a normal file or program to trick users into downloading and installing malware. A Trojan can give a malicious party remote access to an infected computer. Once an attacker has access to an infected computer, it is possible for the attacker to steal data (logins, financial data, even electronic money), install more malware, modify files, monitor user activity (screen watching, keylogging, etc), use the computer in botnets, and anonymize internet activity by the attacker.


• Virus
A virus is a form of malware that is capable of copying itself and spreading to other computers. Viruses often spread to other computers by attaching themselves to various programs and executing code when a user launches one of those infected programs. Viruses can also spread through script files, documents, and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web apps.


• Worm
Computer Worms or Worms only are among the most common types of Malicious Software.They get spread over the networks by exploiting the Operating System loopholes, and their main job is to hamper the host network by consuming the bandwidth and overloading the web server.Computer worms can also contain “payloads” that damage host computers. Payloads are pieces of code written to perform actions on affected computers beyond simply spreading the worm.

Malware Prevention and Removal

• Install and run anti-malware and firewall software. When selecting software, choose a program that offers tools for detecting, quarantining, and removing multiple types of malware. At the minimum, anti-malware software should protect against viruses, spyware, adware, Trojans, and worms. The combination of anti-malware software and a firewall will ensure that all incoming and existing data gets scanned for malware and that malware can be safely removed once detected.Always go for the paid version of software rather than going for the cracked or free downloaded ones.


• Keep software and operating systems up to date with current vulnerability patches. These patches are often released to patch bugs or other security flaws that could be exploited by attackers.


• Be alert and protective when downloading files, programs, attachments, etc. Downloads that seem strange or are from an unfamiliar source often contain malware.Try to be specific about the websites URLs that you are visiting only to visit websites that are Secured and using HTTPS rather than HTTP only.

 That's all friends in this article of mine, just go through the article and get to know about the various kinds of Malware and the ways to prevent our systems from them. Share this article with other people as well and spread the knowledge.