Malware! The word itself petrifies and shakes the very foundation of trust, built by renowned applications or websites. Malware is a software, designed to damage or hack the privacy of a computer system. The very existence of such malicious software has kept many developers busy in making websites and software impregnable. Yet, we’re far from having a solid solution in place.
Although all malware in existence are dangerous, some of them can cause more damage than you can imagine. Hence, let’s us discuss the most petrifying malware known to us so far.
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Ransomware
Just as the name suggests, Ransom is a sum of money demanded in exchange to release the captive. Ransomware is a malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a certain amount of money is paid. Ransomware is one of the petrifying malware known to us so far.
See Also: Recent Ransomware Attacks 2017
If the money is not paid on time, a person controlling the software can destroy your important data, Moreover, a hacker can threaten to keep your key and never release it, leaving you helpless.
One of the most popular ransomware is Crypto Locker. It is one of the newest among the ransomware present in the market and duped 3 million dollars from the companies all over the world. It has been more prevalent and is not willing to diminish yet. It destructs all the installed applications, corrupts files. The first attack was done in 2013, September.
There are several other ransomware present like Reveton, CryptoWall, Fusob, WannaCry and many more.
To avoid this attack, try not opening the e-mail attachments from unknown sources and don’t click on the pop-up windows which you receive while browsing the internet.
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Rootkit Malware-
A Rootkit is a malicious set of software tools that enable an unauthorized user to gain control of a computer system without being detected. These tools set an administrative level access on the infected machine to take over it completely. Moreover, it protects itself from getting detected by Antimalware to maintain the access.
Checking your system for a Rootkit can be very tricky as it keeps itself well hidden. There is no tool developed so far to detect the Rootkit with one click. The best way to find it is to check and delete any suspicious activities on the system. The problem can also be resolved completely by wiping the computer system clean and starting over.
There are various types of Rootkits present – Kernel rootkit, Hardware or Firmware rootkit, Hypervisor or Virtualized rootkit, Library rootkit, Boot loader rootkit or Bootkit, Memory rootkit and User or Application rootkit.
To avoid being victimized by Rootkits, keep your system’s antivirus software up to date, install applications after reading the terms and conditions and of course, don’t open e-mail attachments from unknown sources.
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Firmware-based Malware
Firmware Based Malware can be said to the scariest of all, as it is the kind, which is installed on your hard drives, system bios, and other peripherals. Sometimes depending on the situation’s seriousness, the only fix is to replace the infected hardware part.
Firmware-resident malware is obscure to detect because traditional virus scanners can’t scan firmware for threats.
It is a growing threat and it spreads through phishing emails. There is no way of staying safe, but a few precautions can reduce the probability of getting victimized.
- Change the default login information on any device that connects to the Internet, such as routers, Wi-Fi cameras, and home automation devices.
- Always download and install firmware updates made available by the manufacturer.
- Don’t click on links given on the e-mails without knowing it.
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Persistent Malware (Advanced Persistent Threat Malware)
An Advanced Persistent Threat is a set of surreptitious and continuous computer hacking processes, often staged by hackers targeting a specific entity. They specifically target private organizations. The “advanced” process signifies sophisticated techniques using malware to exploit vulnerabilities in systems.
It is the most stubborn kind of malware and it is not easy to get rid of the same. Even if it is removed, there are still chances to get infected and therefore, the users seem to be clutched in the vicious cycle.
Though getting rid of the malicious malware seems to be difficult, but you can follow these steps to try and remove the same.
- Make sure Anti-malware software is up to date.
- Install one more Anti-malware software like Malware Bytes to double check the system’s security.
- Back up the data and run a full scan to ensure that the system is secure.
To avoid such things in the first place, you need to consider what information needs to be secured on top-priority and keep your antivirus/antimalware software active all the time.
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Trojan horse
Trojan horse is a malicious content which disguises as a computer application but hacks the system instead. Though Trojan is like Virus and Worms but doesn’t replicate itself to spread the infection.
One of the Trojan works as a backdoor, open the network ports, allowing other network applications to gain access to the computer system. There are various other Trojan horses known.
Some of these include remote access Trojans (RATs), backdoor Trojans (backdoors), IRC Trojans (IRCbots), and keylogging Trojans. Some of them, can act like Key logger and Backdoor Trojan both at a time.
To avoid them, you can keep a few things in mind –
- Don’t login as Admin all the time, use the admin account for installation of updates and software.
- Keep your firewall turned on always.
- Install an active and sturdy Antivirus.
These threats have made people’s life a living hell and have tricked people. Moreover, hackers have made millions of dollars. Advancement of these malicious software poses a serious threat to all of us. It’s a high time to act defensive and stay alert. We need to practice basic security hygiene which includes having an antivirus with up to date definitions active all the time.