What You NEED to Know About Malware

Along with viruses, one of the biggest threats to computer users on the Internet today is malware - various kinds that are defined below. The word malware is a generic term for any program or file that is harmful to your PC.

Author: Patricia Lynn

How malware gets on your PC 

It is easy to get malware on your PC. One can get infected by merely visiting a webpage. Malware can capture all of your keystrokes and steal personal information - even your identity, hijack your entire PC and use it to infect others, erase your data files, and serve up nasty pop-up ads - even when you’re not on the internet. Malware can come with programs you download for file sharing - like Bearshare. Others come attached to music files, toolbars, software, and other files you download. Some malware produce pop-up “warning” messages purporting to come from Windows, but following the instructions in the bogus pop-ups will install more malware on your PC.

Sometimes your browser gives you a pop-up window stating you need to download a plug-in to continue viewing a website. Some plug-ins, like those from Macromedia Flash, are legitimate. But many malware developers use this function to get you to download their programs. Look carefully whenever you are told you must download a plug-in or file to continue. Bring up another browser and research the program name. If you can’t verify 100% that the request is legitimate, decline the download and leave the website.

Most malware programs are poorly-written. As a result, they can cause system crashes or cause a PC to run very slowly.

Why it’s important to avoid getting malware

Getting infected with malware is easy. Getting rid of it can be difficult as some malware programs multiply themselves, and others imbed themselves deep within Windows. Some actually pose as Windows programs by using the same filenames. All of these tricks make malware difficult to get rid of even by the best scanning software. Some malware programs will reinstall themselves even after you or your scanning programs have “successfully” eradicated them. The absolute best defense is to not get the malware in the first place. Except for the malware that sneaks in through holes in Internet Explorer, most malware is downloaded by the PC user! To learn more about PC security, go to the separate article What You Must Know About PC Security.

Different Types of Malware

Adware:  a program whose main purpose is to present you with advertising - usually in the form of pop-up windows. Most adware comes with software you download, from websites you visit, or from clicking on pop-up windows. Besides being annoying, some adware makes changes to your browser (i.e. your homepage) and uses bandwidth to retrieve the ads. Adware can slow down your PC because it uses memory and processing cycles. It can also corrupt your PC due to its poor programming. Often adware also includes spyware.

Bot:  short for robot, a bot is a program that allows a hacker to remotely control and command your PC - turning it into a "zombie PC." Your PC will be used to disable legitimate websites, hack into other PCs, or send thousands of spam emails. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software often do a poor job of detecting and removing bots because bots are easy to create and distribute. Besides using a firewall, having a strong password on your PC’s administrator account can help prevent a bot from getting into your PC. (Note:  there are good robots, too. Search engines like Google use robots to crawl the Internet looking at the content of web pages in order to service you when you do a keyword search.)

Data miner:  a small program whose function is to gather data about you. Some data miners act much like spyware. But other data miners are used by retail companies to track certain information about you in order to analyze the coagulate data for significant patterns.

Dialer:  a program designed to hijack your modem and connect to a toll (900) or long-distance phone number. Dialers are usually used by pornographic vendors. Dialers can ad huge charges to your phone bill.

Keylogger:  a program whose main purpose is to monitor the keystrokes on your PC to capture information like bank account numbers and passwords, and then send the information back to the originator. Since keyloggers need to “phone home,” the proper use of a firewall can help prevent any damage from a keylogger until you can eradicate it.

Spyware:  a program whose main purpose is to collect and share personal information about you - such as your email addresses or websites you’ve visited. Spyware typically come bundled with downloaded software, or is installed when you click a pop-up window on a website. Your personal information is then shared with advertisers and other interested companies.

Trojan horse:  a program that often appears harmless, but is very destructive when executed. A trojan horse can corrupt your data files or steal your passwords, disable your security software, steal your files, capture your keystrokes, randomly delete files on your PC, and completely take over your PC. A Trojan can get installed on your PC in many ways:  via an email attachment, attached to downloaded game or software, or just from visiting a website!

Virus:  a small program that attaches to a file and corrupts it. A virus must be attached to a file or email in order to spread. Some viruses are programmed to delete files, damage programs, or even reformat the hard disk. Others are less malicious, but all viruses take up system resources such as memory and may eventually cause your PC to lose data, crash, or act erratically.

Worm:  special kind of virus that can replicate and use memory, and can spread to other computers without having to be attached to a file or email.

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