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    Common Cyberattacks: Malware


    What is Malware?
    Malware is one of the most well-known and infamous forms of cyberattacks. It is a term used for malicious code with the purpose of harming computers, servers and networks alike. They are developed by cybercriminals to infiltrate systems in discrete manners to destroy data from the inside, and different variations of malware can be used for these intentions, including ransomware, spyware, trojans, worms, and rootkits. Here is a short explanation to each of these forms of malware:

    • Ransomware: Malware designed to gather data and hold it for ransom, leading to hackers getting payment via extortion methods.
    • Spyware: Software created with malicious intent to track your inputs or whereabouts. It can access your GPS, IP address, or log all keyboard inputs in attempts to find sensitive information about you.
    • Trojanware: Named after the Trojan Horse, it is disguised as something harmless, but once downloaded onto a system, will start to attack the system.
    • Worms: Malware that is self-replicating (cloning a perfect copy of itself.) Intends to spread across networks without human action to activate, and exploits devices to drain resources and data from.
    • Rootkits: Stealthy software that provides high-level access to devices without alerting security software. It comes in many forms, like Kernel-mode, which causes infection deep within a system, and Bootloader, which infects the boot process (turning the computer on and running the operating system.)

    Prevention Methods

    To prevent malware attacks, taking actions like the ones below will come in handy:

    • Strong Password Practices: These involve basic rules that protect your account at a basic level. Two common methods are never sharing passwords, and restrictions including requirements for letters (A – Z), numbers (0 – 9), and special symbols like hyphens (-), hashtags (#) and at signs (@).
    • Multi-Factor Authentication: Needing extra outside credentials to verify who you are. This includes passkeys (one-time use codes), verification with codes sent to your email address, and biometrics for physical devices, meaning only you can access them using fingerprints or retinal scanning.
    • VPNs: Standing for “Virtual Private Network”, these are a way to change your IP address to anywhere across the world, disguising your real-world location and protecting sensitive data such as your location.
    • Domains: Sticking to top-level domains for what websites to use (.com, .org, .gov, .co.uk, etc.) All of the examples shown are inherently safe due to being owned by large, local corporations or the government.
    • Backups: The process of backing up data will help prevent the worst-case scenario of losing all of your data to a malware attack.

    All of the above methods are highly important to keep your data secure from malware.

    Signs of Malware Attacks

    Signs of malware infection on devices include the likes of fast battery drain, lost access and deleted files, system crashes, loss of disk space, and general slow speeds. If any of these occur, use the likes of antivirus software (such as Norton or Malwarebytes) and built-in security measures (like Windows 11’s Windows Security) will help mitigate the likelihood of you being attacked via malware.