Malware, Spyware, Adware Or Trojan – What’s the Fuss?

Introduction:

Very often, malware is spoken of as viruses, trojans, dialers, adware and sypware. Being knowledgeable about how to diagnose a service running as a malware is an important part of fighting this nuisance. The problem of malware is getting worse by the day, and it is not just for funny any more. Fighting malware is a daunting task. This is because rootkit-shielded malware is installed in the system. This makes it difficult for traditional antivirus scanning applications to see the malicious program. Also, many new malware codes are being written everyday. As a result, the only good solution to malware sometimes, is a complete Operating Systems reinstall.

Malware

Malware is usually installed on your computer without your knowledge. Frequently, malware is designed to send itself from your contacts e-mail account to your computer and vice versa. Until now, most malware is limited to Windows systems. This is however changing as more and more malware are being written for the Linux system. One of the first signs of malware is the speed of your computer. Indications of the presence of malware can also be found in the temporary decompression folders. If the only signs are in the temporary decompression folders it is unlikely that the malware has been activated. The usual way of detecting malware is through heuristics. Most malware is easy to remove. Once the presence of a malicious code is confirmed, it could be removed with a scan and remove software. Files that contain the known codes are quarantined and scheduled for deletion.

Trojans

Trojans take their name from the term ‘Trojan Horse’. They are typically malware with a payload. It spreads itself by posing as legitimate software. The term Trojan has usually been used to refer to malware that performes unexpected or unauthorized actions. For instance, a Dialer Trojan is malware coded to secretly dial phone numbers. This leaves the infected victim with a large phone bill. The trojan can also install spamming malware. It can present itself as a legitimate Windows Live Messenger advertisement from Microsoft. Unlike Viruses or Worms, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves. Their danger is in causing damage to networks by delivering other types of Malware. The trojan malware can hijack web browser form data to capture online banking credentials and send the stolen data to the owner party. Catching the threats of a Trojan Horse would require the use of a Trojan scanner.

Spyware

Spyware has become a generic term that also includes adware, malware and many trojans. For the most part, these have inter-related behavior and features and are commonly referred to as Spyware. Most spyware can be broken up into two major groups- adware and malware. All spyware are rogue software programs that typically install themselves without a user’s knowledge. You can get infected with spyware, malware and other malicious programs just by visiting a website. You can also get infected by installing a software which seems genuine but is bundled with malicious codes. Getting rid of spyware is not instant, and certainly not a one time event. It is a process. It requires the use of detection and removal tools that scan explicitly for spyware. However, many spyware experts have noted that no one anti-spyware product catches all malware and spyware. That’s why some spyware appears so invincible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have seen that malware is short for malicious software and a catch all phrase for viruses, worms, adware, spyware, trojans, etc. Malware we also learned is getting more resistant due to the fact that rootkit-shielded malware is installed in the system. This makes it difficult for traditional antivirus scanning applications to see the malicious program. As a result, the only good solution to malware sometimes, is a complete Operating Systems reinstall. Malware we noted can be distributed through email and other file sharing. Some of the early signs we observed is a system slow down. Fortunately, most malware can be easily removed by a simple scan and remove application. The difficulty and reason why some seem invincible is because no one application can take care of all the threats.