Malware, short for malicious software, is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software. Malware is defined by its malicious intent, acting against the requirements of the computer user - it does not include software that causes unintentional harm due to some deficiency. Some malware is destructive by design, here are some of the better known categories of such programs:
Bots
Bots, or robots, are an application that carries out automated tasks on the users’ computer, such as attacks on other machines in order to create a botnet. Once a bot infects a computer, that computer is often referred to as a “zombie”, as it is now under control of the hacker. Botnets can be used for distributing spam, injecting adware onto other computers, recruiting other computers for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and more.Macro Viruses
Macro viruses are a type of virus that are written specifically to alter macros, which are common commands that word-processing programs use. Found in documents such as Word, Excel and Power Point files, the macro virus will not cause any harm to your computer until it is launched, which usually consists of just opening the document. Once executed, macros can cause changes in text documents, such as removing or inserting words, changing the font, or other strange and annoying behaviors. Some macros can even access email accounts and send out copies itself to a user's contacts.Ransomware
Ransomware is a high level threat - it will hold computer data hostage via file encryption, often demanding a fee to regain access to the data. It usually transmits itself via a Trojan virus - which infects and encrypts the data on the hard drive. The attacker then demands payment in exchange for the encryption key. Users are advised to do regular backups and restore machines in the event of an infection. Increasingly ransoms are being demanded (and paid out) in bitcoin.Rogueware/Scareware
Also known as rogue security software, rogueware is malware that masquerades as Internet security software. It pretends to be an antivirus program and performs a false scan on your computer that will alert the user to a virus on what is probably a clean computer. The program then offers to remove the virus for a small fee, or will provide a link that will clean up the “infection.” If a user clicks on that link it can then direct them to a compromised website, allowing for the injection of malware onto the computer. Users are advised to do a search on any messages from unfamiliar programs that claim to have found a virus - a search of the program's name will often clarify if it is indeed rogueware.Trojan Horses
Named after the subterfuge used by Greeks to enter the city of Troy and thus win the Trojan War. Trojan horses may delete, modify, copy, or steal and have been known to disrupt network activity. Hides the malware in what appears to be a normal file. There are a multitude of Trojan viruses on the Internet landscape, however, here are a few of the most common:- Backdoor Trojan - create a “backdoor” on a users’ computer, allowing the attacker access to the machine in order to control it, upload stolen data and even download more malware onto the computer.
- Download Trojan - download additional content onto the infected computer, such as additional pieces of malware.
- Infostealer Trojan - steal data from the infected computer.
- Remote Access Trojan - designed to give the attacker full control over the computer.
- DDoS Attack Trojan - performs DDoS attacks, designed to take down a network by flooding it with traffic.
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