Malware is an abbreviated term meaning “malicious software”.
This is software that is specifically designed to gain access or damage a computer without the knowledge of the owner. There are various types of malware including spyware, keyloggers, true viruses, worms, or any type of malicious code that infiltrates a computer.
Generally, software is considered malware based on the intent of the creator rather than its actual features. Malware creation is on the rise due to the sheer volume of new types created daily and the lure of money that can be made through organized internet crime. Malware was originally created as experiments and pranks, but eventually led to vandalism and destruction of targeted machines.
Today, much of malware is created for profit through forced advertising (adware), stealing sensitive information
(spyware), spreading email spam or child pornography (zombie computers), or to extort money (ransomware). Various factors can make computers more vulnerable to malware attacks, including defects in the operating system design, having all of the computers on a network run the same OS, giving users to much permissions or just using the Windows OS (due to its popularity, it gets the most malware written for it).
The best protection from malware continues to be the usual advice:be careful about what email attachments you open, be cautious when surfing and stay away from suspicious websites, and install and maintain an updated, quality antivirus program.
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How to Prevent Malware:
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AntiVirus developers race against the designers of computer threats in a never-ending effort to prevent the havoc malware wreaks. Security software is indeed consumers' most important defensive tool. However, software isn't the only defense. Users should adopt and practice certain behaviors to augment the effectiveness of these applications. This article outlines the top ten ways to prevent viruses and malware.
1) As already mentioned, installing and running anti-virus software is the first line of defense to prevent infections and attacks against your computer. However, there's more to just loading the software. You must also keep the definition database updated and run both manual and automated virus scans frequently. The best antivirus software makes these processes as simple as possible. There is also software specifically designed for malware, spyware and adware (such as Malwarebytes and Spybot, for example) that reinforce your security software.
2) All operating systems include a firewall that boosts the effectiveness of your anti-virus software. By filtering data that goes both in and out of your computer, it acts as an additional, strong bulwark against threats from the outside world.
3) Adjust your browser's security settings to maximize its ability to prevent unwelcomed intrusions. Keeping your operating system updated helps keep these settings finely tuned to work against the most recent forms of threats.
4) Be wary of opening any email attachment. Even when you know the sender, it's entirely possible that their efforts to prevent attacks weren't adequate and that a threat has infected their system, only to be passed on to you through some innocuous-seeming email. If you are the slightest bit unsure, contact the sender to verify that they meant to send the attachment. As a further precaution, most anti-virus software scans attachments and neutralizes threats before they have the chance to infect your system.
5) File sharing is another common source of contracting computer threats. Be sure you are downloading clean material. The best way to do this is to resort to legitimate sites that have pre-screened files for you. Be aware that if you download pornography, many of those sites are notorious sources of infection. Again, good security software will scan these files before they can be loaded onto your computer.
6) Don't leave your computer operating idly for any length of time. Physically being present and a part of your internet security system is a useful way to prevent the failure of your computer's other defenses.
7) Use common sense and trust your gut feelings about any site, email or software that arouses suspicion. More often than not, your instincts are an excellent guide.
8) Keep up with news about new computer threats. If you hear of something from a legitimate source, update your security software and make sure that the particular threat is covered.
9) Here's a little grab bag of safety tips that can help prevent disasters. Be careful when loading external media such as flash drives without scanning them, and know who is using the computers on your network. When using social networking sites such as Facebook, be careful about clicking any links that look suspicious.
Learn what running a sandbox or virtual machine is and how to use it to test new applications. Create a different account on your computer to avoid using your administrator account for daily use. It's a lot easier to repair a user account than a corrupted administrator account.
10) By becoming proactive and keeping your own computer free from infections, you help prevent the destructive capabilities of those who find perverse joy in hurting others. Together we can fight to make the web a safe place to play, communicate, work and learn.
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