What is Malware ?

Malware is a malicous software that damages or disables computer systems and gives limited or full control of the systems to the malware creator for the purpose of theft or froud.

Malware is abbreviated from the term Malicious Software. The term malware is an umbrella term that defines a wide variety of potentially harmful software. This malicious software is specially designed for gaining access to target machines, stealing information and harm the target system. Any software is having malicous intention like damaging, disabling or limiting the control of the legitimate owner and providing control of the target system to the developer of malware or an attacker, or any other malicious intent can be considered as Malware.

Malware can be classified into various types including Viruses, Worms , Keyloggers, Spyware, Trojan, Ransomware and other malicous software. Malware is the most critical, prominent, emerging problem now a day, Malicious software classified as Viruses and Worm have some older techniques whereas Malware has some new techniques which makes them more dangerous.

You Must Look For Network Sniffer

Example Of Malware

Different Ways a Malware can Get into a System

Downloading files, games, and screensavers from Internet Sites

When software is available on the internet for free, it mostly contains additional software and applications which may belong to the offering organization bundled later by any third party to propogate this malicous software. Most common example of free software is like downloading crack files usually contains additional malicous software, or sometimes it only contains a malware.

Instant Messenger Applications

File Sharing Services

File sharing services such as torrent and Peer-to-peer file sharing services transfer the file from multiple computers. During the transfer, the file can be infected, or any infected file may additionally transfer with the transfer because there may be a computer having low, or no security policy.

Attachments

Removable Media

Malware can also propagate through removable media such as USB. Various advance Removable media malware is introduced which can propagate through Storage area of USB as well as through Firmware embedded in the hardware. Apart from USB, External hard disk, CD, DVD can also bring malwares along with them.

Browser and Email Software Bugs

In an organization, email communication is the most popularly-used way of communication. Malicous software can be sent through email attachments, Email containing malicious URL.

Not using Firewall and Anti-Virus

Disabling Security Firewalls and Anti-Virus programs or not using Internet security software can also allow the malicous software to be download on a system. Anti-Virus and Internet security Firewalls can block malicious software from downloading automatically and alert upon detection.

Common Techniques Attackers Use to Distribute Malwares on the Web

Blackhat Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Ranking malwares pages highly in search results

Social Engineered Click-Jacking

Tricking users into clicking on innocent-looking webpages.

Malvertising

Embedding malwares in ad-networks that display across hundreads of legitimate, high-traffic sites.

Spearphishing Sites

Mimicking legitimate institutions in an attempts to steal login credentials

Compromised Legitimate Websites

Hosting embedded malwares that spreads to unsuspecting visitors

Drive-by Downloads

Exploiting flaws in browser software to install malwares just by visiting a web page

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Originally published at https://exploitbyte.com on November 1, 2019.