Introduction
Computer viruses are small software able to cause major disruption to individuals, businesses, and other institutions, after all, can delete the data capture information, change, or prevent the operation of the operating system, for example. As if that wasn’t enough, there are still other software-like, such as trojan horses, worms, hijackers, spyware and ransomwares. In this text, you will know how to act these “pests digital” and learn about the basic differences between them.
Before, what is a malware?
It is common for people call this virus the entire and any software with malicious purposes. But, as shown in the first the paragraph of the text, there are several types of “pests digital”, and the virus only one category of them.
Currently, we use a term more aquedado to generalize these programs: the denomination malware, a combination of the words malicious and software that it means “malicious program”. Therefore, malware is nothing more that a name created for when we make reference to a malicious software,be it a virus, a worm, a spyware, etc.
It is important to note that the word “computer” is used here in the broadest manner, considering the various types of computing devices that exist: desktops, servers, smartphones, tablets, and so on.
It is valid to note that the malware not limited to a single platform. There are those who think, for example, that there are only pests digital Windows, but this is not true. What happens is the family of Microsoft operating systems is very popular and, therefore, more targeted.
As there is no software 100% safe and secure, malware can also be developed to attack other platforms (Android, Linux, iOS, OS X, etc.), after all, there is always someone willing to discover and explore the shortcomings of each.
What is computer virus?
As you already know, a virus is a program with malicious purposes, able to cause disorders with a wide variety of types of actions: there are viruses that erase or change files of users, which hamper the functioning of operating system for damaging or changing its features, that cause excess traffic on networks, and so on.
The virus, just like any other kind of malware, can be created in a variety of ways. The first ones were developed in programming languages such as C and Assembly. Today, it is possible to find even with tools that assist on its creation.
As the virus act?
The viruses are so named because they have characteristics propagation that resemble the actual virus, this is biological: when a virus contaminates a computer, in addition to performing the action for which was programmed, it also tries to spread to other machines, just like biological viruses in the organisms that try to invade.
In the old days, viruses had a radius of action much limited: if promoted, for example, every time a floppy disk contaminated was read on the computer. With the emergence of the Internet, however, this situation has changed dramatically — for the worse.
This happens because, with the Internet, viruses can spread much more quickly and contaminate a number of very the more significant of computers. To this end, these invaders can exploit various means, among them:
- Security flaws (bugs): operating systems and other programs are not software perfect and may contain failures. These, when discovered by people with malicious purposes, can be exploited by viruses, allowing the contamination of the system, often without the user notice;
- Emails: this is one of the practices explored further. The user receives messages that try to convince you to run a file attached or present on a link. If the user you do without realizing that they are being cheated, will certainly have your the contaminated computer;
- Downloads: user can download a file particular site without realizing that this can be infected;
- Social networks and instant messaging: links to virus can also reach via services such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Skype.
The virus can also be spread from a combination of means. For example, a person in a the office can run the attachment in an e-mail and, with this, contaminate your computer. Then, this same virus can try exploit security flaws in other computers on the network to infect them.
Other types of malware
As you already know, viruses are not the only malware that exist. The definition of what the plague is or is not depends, essentially, of their actions and ways of propagation. Here are the the most common types:
Trojan horse (trojan)
Trojan horses (or trojans) are a type of malware that enables a way of remote access to the computer after the infection, as if it were a thug who invades the place and opens the way for his cronies to appear, making a comparison coarse. This type of pest may have other features, such as capturing user data to convey them to another machine.
To be able to join on the computer, the trojan horse generally passes by another program or file. The user can, for example, a download thinking it is a tool for a particular purpose when, in fact, it is a trojan.
This type of malware is not designed to replicate. When this happens, generally is a a joint action with a virus.
Worm (worm)
The worms (or worms, name little used) can be interpreted as a type of virus that is more intelligent than the other. The main difference is in the way of propagation: the worms can esplhar quickly to other computers — whether by the Internet, whether through a local network — of-way automatic.
Explained: to act, the virus needs to have the “support” of the user. This occurs, for example, when a person downloads a attachment of contaminated e-mail, and run it. The worms, in turn, can infect the computer completely discreet, exploring flaws in application or operating system itself. It is clear that a worm can also count with the action of a user to propagate, as usually this type of malware is created to contaminate the as many computers as possible, making any the environment that allows this to be acceptable.
Spyware
Spyware are programs that “espionam” activities of users or capture information about them. To contaminate a computer, the spywares are generally “embedded” software origin doubtful, almost always offered as freeware or shareware names (little used currently).
The captured data are subsequently transmitted by the Internet. This information can contain from user’s web browsing habits to passwords.
Keylogger
Keyloggers are small applications that can come built-in virus, spyware or software provenance doubtful. Your function is to capture everything that is entered by the user. It is one of the ways used for the capture passwords.
Hijacker
Hijackers are programs or scripts that “hijack” Internet browsers. The main victims were the versions more old Internet Explorer. A hijacker can for example, change the the home page of the browser and prevent the user from to change it, to show ads in new windows, install bars tools and block access to certain web sites (pages antivirus companies, for example).
Fortunately, today’s browsers have more security features, limiting considerably the action of this type of pest digital.
Rootkit
This is one of the types of malware are more dangerous. Can be used for multiple purposes, such as to capture data of the user. Until then, no news. What makes the rootkits so threatening is the ability of have to complicate its detection by antivirus or other security software. In other words, rootkits are able to “camouflage” in the system. For this, developers of rootkits can make use of various advanced techniques, such as infiltrate the malware in active processes in memory.
In addition to difficult detection, rootkits also are difficult to remove. Fortunately, the complexity of development makes these invaders were not numerous.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware with a “proposal” more bold: once active, the plague can block or limit access to files, folders, applications, storage units, entire or even prevent the use of the operating system. To release these resources, the ransomware tends to show messages demanding payments. It’s like if the computer had been hijacked.
To convince the user to disburse the amount required, the the message may contain threats or blackmail, by saying, for example, that important data will be erased or that images the particular person will be published on the Internet if the payment is not made.
Some of the malware the most well-known
Currently, strict security practices, and protection features the most efficient are limiting considerably the activities of the malware, although this it is a problem far from an end. In a past notvery distant, some of these pests if stressed both that “entered for the story”. Here are some of them:
- Jerusalem (Friday the 13th): launched in 1987, the virus Jerusalem (alias “Friday the 13th”) was of type time bomb, or is, scheduled to act on a certain date, in this if, in the whole Friday the 13th, as the nickname indicates. Infectava files with the extension .exe, .with, .bin and the other, to the detriment of functioning of the operating system;
- Melissa: created in 1999, the Melissa virus was a script macro for Microsoft Word. It was one of the first to propagate by e-mail to infect the computer, sent messages infected to the first 50 addresses from the contacts list user. The malware caused losses to companies and other institutions by the excessive traffic generated in their networks;
- ILOVEYOU: this is a worm that emerged in the year 2000. Your propagation was mainly by e-mail, using as the title of a simple expression, but able to cause great impact on people: “ILOVEYOU” (I love you), which ended up leading to the your name. The plague was able to create multiple copies of your on the computer, overwrite files, among other activities;
- Code Red: the worm that emerged in 2001 and which spread by exploiting a security flaw in Windows NT operating systems and Windows 2000. The malware let the computer slow and, in the case of the Windows 2000, amounted including to leave the system unusable;
- MyDoom: launched in 2004, this worm used the infected computers as “slaves” for DDoS attacks. Spread mainly for tools, file exchange (P2P) and e-mails. In the latter half, in addition to search addresses in infected computers, was looking for-the also in search sites.
Fake antivirus
It is not news to anyone that the most used as protection against viruses and other malware are the antivirus. Aware of that, “offenders virtual” began to exploit this characteristic in their favor: they have created fake anti-virus.
The spread of this type of software is made of a variety of ways. In the most common content sites doubtful display advertising that passed for alerts security. If the user clicks on the message, it will be invited to to download a program or access a page that supposedly makes scans on your computer.
The supposed tool, which also typically have user interface that recalls the antivirus well-known on the market, simulates a scan of that indicates the existence of one or more malware on the computer and if offers to clear the system for a fee. But all does not passes of simulation.
The tip most recommended, in this case, is to always use antivirus security companies recognized.You’ll find a list of these programs on the topic follow.
Antivirus
The market has antivirus paid and free (these, usually with fewer resources). Some programs actually consist of in security packages, as they include a firewall and other tools that complement the protection offered by the anti-virus.
It is worth mentioning that this list was drawn up based on the solutions offered for Windows operating systems, however, virtually all of the the developers of the software mentioned offer solutions for other platforms, including mobile.
Protection tips
A lot of people think that just having an antivirus on the computer to to be free of malware. In fact, this type of software meets a very important role, but not even the best solution can to be 100% effective. The most powerful weapon, therefore, is the prevention. Here are some simple tips, but are essential to this:
- Apply updates to the operating system and always use the latest versions of the software installed on it;
- Be careful with attachments and links in e-mails, instant messages and social networks, even when the message comes from known persons;
- Before you download unknown programs, search for more information about it on search engines or on sites specializing in downloads;
- Be careful with the sites that you visit. It is very common for example, the spread of malware in pages adult content;
- When installing an antivirus, make sure that this it is regularly updated, otherwise, the program you will not be able to identify new viruses or variations of pests already existing;
- Do a scan with the antivirus periodically on the computer at all. Also use the tool to verify downloaded files;
- The virus can also be spread by SD cards, usb sticks and devices similar, therefore, always check the content of the removable devices and, if possible, not use them on public computers (college, high school, lan house, etc.).
Check out other safety tips here.
Ending
Before we dismiss this article, it is convenient to desmentirmos a belief that viruses and the like can damage the hardware of the computer. Malwares are softwares, therefore, not can burn or cause a component to blow up, for example.
What can happen is a plague able to damage the the firmware of some device, that is, the software that makes work. But this is a fairly complex procedure and, consequently, very difficult to occur.
It is important to clarify also that the simple act of download a virus to contaminate the computer immediately. It is required that some action (such as a click of the user) you do enter into operation.
