Malware and its Types

Malware

• Malware is a type of malicious program designed to damage or carry out unwanted actions on a computer system.
• The term 'malware' can be remembered as 'badware' since 'mal' in Spanish means 'bad'.

Types of Malware

• Computer worm: a type of malware that can replicate itself without human interaction, consuming memory space and slowing down the computer's processing speed.
• Trojan horse: a type of malware that conceals itself inside legitimate software, activating and infecting the host system when installed.
• Spyware: a type of malware that snoops on a user's activity and sends gathered information back to a hacker.
• Ransomware: a type of malware that accesses the host system's data by encrypting it, demanding payment in exchange for access.
• Rootkit: a type of malware that gains administrator access to the host system, hiding but retaining special access to the system.
• Computer virus: a piece of code or program developed to corrupt data or program files on a computer system.

Computer Viruses

• A computer virus enters a computer without the user's permission, potentially spreading to other systems if the computer is part of a network.
• Viruses can hamper the normal functioning of computer resources, such as processing power, memory, and installed programs.
• A virus can slow down the computer's speed or even damage the hard disk, making it unrecoverable.
• VIRUS stands for Vital Information Resources Under Seize.

Protection from Malware

• Antivirus software: a set of programs that identify and remove malware, detecting and preventing viruses from copying themselves on the computer system.
• Regular updates are necessary to detect the latest known viruses, requiring an internet connection.
• Firewall: a software or hardware-based network security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic, preventing unauthorized access to a computer network.