Understand How Malware Spreads So You Can Stamp It Out
While people are increasingly dependent on their computing devices, many of us do not understand the basics of how malware spreads, which leads to misunderstanding about how anti virus software and other protection methods are to be effectively used.
The following guide will give you a clear explanation of how malware infection works and how to keep your computer protected against it.
The Ways That Malware Gets Into Your Computer
Malicious software comes in many forms – from viruses, worms and Trojans to spyware, it has the potential to cause serious harm to your computer and even to put your personal information in the hands of cyber criminals. What’s more, your actions often play a large part in how malware gains entry to your computing devices.
These are the main ways it infiltrates:
Most of us have by now been warned about opening unsolicited emails, since by clicking on them you could be opening the door to malicious code. The tricky issue is that cyber criminals are getting increasingly clever at stealing personal details and sending emails that appear to come from known sources. Be aware that clicking on any attachment can unleash malware. For this reason, it’s important to have your anti virus software scan all attachments before opening them.
Websites
Many websites have javascript or other scripting languages that enable the web pages to work correctly. Some types of malware are designed to run a script of computer code when you visit a web page, thus gaining access to your system.
Secondly, be aware of what a website or web page is displaying – one of the most suspicious indicators of malware is when a pop-up appears asking you to download a file before you can continue.
Downloads and Installations
An obvious way to get a malware infection is to agree to download a file, so always make sure your download comes from a reliable source.
In addition, beware of installing free programs or shareware, as these offer another easy way for malware to gain access to your computer. Many of these types of programs are called “ad-supported” software – this not a good as it means the software has to display ads in order to work correctly, and it constantly tracks and sends data without your knowledge.
All in all, the most prevalent way that malicious code gets installed onto computers is by being bundled within legitimate software. When this legitimate software is downloaded, the malware attaches itself to the ‘good’ files. Another prevalent way that malware unsuspectingly gains access is through false cookie and cache files that your Internet browser automatically downloads.
External Devices
Infected external devices such as USB flash drives are also an easy way to infect a computer with malware. The malicious code usually gets installed though a corrupted autorun.inf file, which is used to automatically start software located on the drive.
How Malware Gains Hold
Once malware is downloaded onto your computer, it usually stays dormant until something triggers the malicious code to activate. The trigger can be as innocent an action as running a specific program or opening an Internet browser. Once triggered, the malware generally installs itself inside your computer’s invisible system files. Even if it was originally downloaded to a temporary cache folder, once it installs to these system folders, it will be extremely difficult to remove. For this reason, you want your security software to robustly block malware from entering your system in the first place.
Top Tips for Malware Prevention
· Make sure you have a reliable anti virus software product installed and consistently download the latest updates and virus definitions to keep it fully up to date. When removing the contents of quarantine folders, make sure you delete them fully by emptying your Recycle Bin.
· Ensure your firewall is constantly in operation and set to the security levels that are suitable to your browsing activity.
· Run a full system scan with your anti virus software if you suspect a malware infection. Although this could take a few hours, it’s best not to continue using your PC while the scan is running as this can cause interference. Also uninstall any software identified as definite threats.
· Clear out temporary files when running a virus scan as this will save time.
The last resort if you suspect your computer is infected even after you’ve run a deep scan with your anti virus software is to do a complete reinstall of your operating system.
About the Author: Peter McKiel is an independent IT Consultant for anti virus software .
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