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Types Of Malware And How They Attack

By Jake M. Black

Malware is a general term referring to all kinds of harmful software. In this article, we are going to briefly discuss malware, viruses and Trojan horses, and the difference between them.

Malware is an acronym for "malicious software". Malware causes malfunctions, disturbances, changes, loss or corruption of data in computers and servers.

Most computer users are familiar with viruses. Vundo Viruses are designed as programs or scripts that replicate and propagate from one computer to the other, within a network of computers or servers. When viruses attack, they spread files in the process. This process is done without consent from the user. A user may be unaware that a virus is spreading. A virus is wrongly defined by some people as a program that tricks a person into installing a harmful program that deletes data in the hard drive. Mostly, a virus does no harm to the data. The main function of a virus is to multiply and spread within a server or computer. The damage to a computer is done in the process of containing or countering the virus. Downloads and e-mail attachments are the main source of viruses. Memory sticks and flash drives are also responsible for spreading viruses.

Worms are a variation of viruses. A worm produces multiple copies of itself in a computer, or in each of the computers in a network.

A scanner is used to locate and immunize viruses. A computer may contain thousands of files, some of which could be infected by a virus. The scanner runs through all the programs and files in a computer, and instantly destroys all the malicious code. Semi-viruses and replicas are also destroyed. You can prevent viruses from attacking your computer or server. Viruses are largely transported by executable files that run instantly upon clicking. E-mails with attachments should be scanned before downloading or clicking. Otherwise, if you are not sure of the origin of the file, you must delete it. Avoid swapping files with other users.

Another type of malware is a "Trojan horse". A Trojan horse is a stealth program that tries to enter the computer without the user's permission or knowledge. The word Trojan horse is derived from a Greek myth about characters that pass through security walls by presenting or hiding themselves in a different form. One example of a Trojan horse is the 'swen virus' that presented itself as a Microsoft application.

A Trojan horse is a lethal form of malware. The consequences wrought by a Trojan horse infection include loss of data, corruption of data, alteration of data, movement of data and hacking. A Trojan horse can phish passwords, credit card numbers and other sensitive information. Viruses disrupt our computers, and they should be swiftly done away with.

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