Ray explains Malware – and what types of Malware there are
This week, we discuss Malware and describe what the four main types of Malware are.
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“Malware is an umbrella term that describes all forms of malicious software designed to cause havoc on a computer. Typical forms include viruses, trojans, worms and ransomware.
A Virus is a type of malware for personal computers, dating back to the days of floppy disks. Viruses typically aim to corrupt, erase or modify information on a computer before spreading to others. However, in more recent years, viruses like Stuxnet have caused physical damage.
Trojans allow a hacker to gain remote access to a computer. The system will be infected by a virus that sets up an entry point for the perpetrator to download files or watch the user’s keystrokes.
Worm is a piece of malware that can replicate itself in order to spread the infection to other connected computers. It will actively hunt out weak systems in the network to exploit and spread.
Ransomware deliberately prevents you from accessing files on your computer. If a computer is infected by malware designed for this purpose, it will typically encrypt files and request that a ransom be paid in order to have them decrypted.”