If you haven’t noticed, we’re in a digital war against rogue software that causes inestimable damage to our computer, server, and network, not to mention our privacy and security. Malware poses a very serious threat. But before we take up arms and hit anything that moves, let us define what it is and what it is comprised of.
Malware is short for malicious software and is used as a catch-all term for viruses, spyware, Trojans, browser hijackers, worms, adware, sneakware, keyloggers, among others. Malware works in various ways but there’s nothing useful about them. They’re all nasty. Aside from stealing your personal information, they flood your browser or your inbox with advertising, redirect you to a phishing page, or use your server to secretly broadcast porn. The consequence, of course, is that your computer slows down, or becomes inoperable and crash.
How You Got Malware on Your Laptop
You might want to know what it is that you did that allowed them to reside in your computer. Freeware applications are common culprits, as are file-sharing programs. Only use reputable sites for your downloads. Don’t fall for offers telling you that you’re infected and that you can download a removal tool from them. They’re simply giving you a whole new set of spyware to contend with. Worms and viruses are obvious; your computer contracts them when you open email attachments that bear their codes. There are some forms of malware that install simply by visiting infected websites.
Why Spyware is so Difficult to Get Rid Of
Spyware monitors your activity and sends your sensitive personal data to third parties and they’re also numerous and has the ability to mutate quickly. While engineers have been able to create programs that contain viruses, spyware can reproduce due to active web content or through transient programs that run on the computers. Even after you think they have been removed, they will reinstall themselves. It’s also exceedingly difficult to manually remove them as they hide in the Windows registry.
Will Malware Continue to Reign?
The outbreak of malware will only get worse. According to Symantec, a huge growth in malware was recorded in the past couple of years and will continue to proliferate at a record pace. Disturbingly, web surfing was said to be the primary source of new infections.
For protection, update yourself on the latest malicious programs. Be proactive and be vigilant; clean out malware from your computer at least every week. We can’t not download so when you have to, read the end-user license agreement. If it says that third-party software may be installed, follow the installation with a spyware cleaning. Backup often. A severe malware problem may mean you would have to reformat the hard drive so to prevent this nightmare from happening, save copies of your important files on CDs or separate drives. These malware programmers are cunning but being on your guard may give you the win against this burgeoning annoyance.
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