Types
For many of us the Internet has revolutionized how the world works. We are able to communicate instantly, shop without leaving our home, find information in seconds and so much more. While the Internet has undoubtedly been advantageous for both the individual and business alike unfortunately some people try to exploit its greatness. The World Wide Web is not just a place for socializing, achieving bigger profits and generally making life easier, regrettably it has became a platform for exploitation, violation and misuse which certainly not what Lawrence Roberts had in mind. This abuse has come in many forms, one of which is malware (or malicious software). Fundamentally it is used to access, penetrate and possibly damage a users computer without the owner giving any consent or in some cases, even knowing. Some 1.2 million unique malware applications were created in the first half of 2009, which has increased considerably from the same period last year.
We can categorize this infection type into two groups: Concealment and Infectious. Let us start with the latter.
Just about everyone has heard of a computer virus and therefore infectious types are the best-known forms. This type of malware can again be fractured:
Virus: The most common type. Reproduces and spreads swiftly infecting as many systems as possible.
Worm: Similar to a Virus and is most frequently found in email attachments.
Essentially all forms of malware aim to infect as many computers as possible but Viruses and Worms are designed for maximum infection. The difference between a worm and a virus is that a worm can spread automatically whereas a virus is transferred via a user command (i.e. an email, USB stick) Another dissimilarity is that worms tend to cause harm to your network mainly in the form of using bandwidth as opposed to viruses which will more often than not cause damage to the computer itself by corrupting and modifying files. Both are equally as annoying and harmful if you are unlucky enough to become infected. To remove malware without complicating matters quality security software is recommended.
While infectious malware is designed for maximum infection and often the creators hope that it will become known so as to show off their skills, concealment type is subtler.
Trojans (horse and down loader): A seemingly innocent program that has a more malicious objective. Once opened it will usually let loose an abundance of malware onto your computer. The down loader also downloads more Trojan horses when you connect to a network.
Spyware: programs that spy on your internet activity.
Adware: forces advertisements to pop up.
Rootkit: hides malicious content from security tools /virus scans.
Backdoor: creates a backdoor to your computer for an hacker to exploit.
You can remove malware content by downloading and using paid software that is always more reliable than freeware. Trojans are perhaps the most known of these concealment applications. Based on the Trojan horse in Greek Mythology, this type of malware is notorious for posing as a legitimate program and differs from infectious types in that it is not self-replicating. Instead, when a Trojan horse is installed on a system the hacker can use it to remotely access the infected computer and therefore the files on that computer. Data theft, installation of more malware and modification of files are all purposes that the hacker aims for.
Most of us have probably come across adware/ spyware before. Those annoying ads that pops up on your computer screen for no apparent reason. Spyware has become the biggest problem facing Internet users today. What it essentially does is monitor your internet activity and log it in a record; this can include websites visited, passwords, search terms and items bought. Basically a huge invasion of privacy not to mention that it can use your computer for illegal activity.
How can you protect yourself and remove malware easily? Without advertising any one product (there are hundreds of security programs out there) it is useful for you to have at least one protection tool installed on your computer. A quick search of search engines will yield countless results and solutions to show you how to remove malware either manually or by use of software that can help protect you from this invasive and destructive form of Internet activity. It is strongly suggested that you explore the different options for getting rid of these malicious programs. Your passwords, bank details, Internet history, computer stability and security, document security and personal information are at risk if you do not. The Internet is growing at a tremendously rate; unfortunately those wishing to exploit it are growing too. Get Xoftspyse today because this is one program that can remove malware totally and will not tamper with or affect other system features.