Having your desktop computer or your laptop infected by computer viruses or worms is not a nice experience, especially considering that the more malicious varieties of those viruses and worms can easily affect your most important files and programs, and even lock you out of your own computer. But how much do you actually know about these types of malicious software aside from how to run an antivirus application every now and then to make sure that your computer is clean? Although it might seem a little unnecessary and tedious at first for those of you without a background in IT to gain an understanding of malicious software, the truth it by getting to understand them you will be able to protect your data and your personal information better against malwares in general. Besides, understanding malicious software is not at all difficult, as its concept is relatively easy to grasp,
TYPES OF MALWARE YOU NEED TO KNOW
First of all, what is a malicious software? While there are many definitions given by tech experts which delves into the technicalities of malicious software, the truth is at its core a malware can easily be understood as a particular type of software that is harmful to your computer system. There are quite a lot of different types of malicious software out there, and while most computer users are surely already familiar with worms, viruses, as well as Trojans, other types of malware such as spyware and adware are also getting increasingly prevalent in these days and age.
When you are reading a case of identity theft or a case of someone’s credit card information getting stolen, for instance, chances are it is the type of malicious software known as spyware that causes it. If your computer is getting infected by spyware, those behind it will be able to track your activities and your personal information, including the keystrokes of your password as well as your name, password, even your social security number. That is why you need to be extra careful when you are doing online transactions or exchanging vital information through email, as those confidential data might risk getting leaked or stolen and then used by irresponsible third party.
Adwares, on the other hand,can be less malicious than other types of malicious software, although it still poses a serious risk to your personal information. While a spyware might risk your identity getting stolen and misused for nefarious purposes, an adware is stealing your user information in order for it to share them with shady advertisers. As a result, a computer infected with an adware will see an annoying amount of pop-up ads that seem to be impossible to remove unless the adware itself is removed and your computer is cleaned.
To ensure that that will not be happening, it is important for any computer user to install a solid antivirus or anti-malware software on their computer, as well as installing firewalls to protect against malware coming from online sites.
