In the hacker’s arsenal, there will be no doubt a whole array of tools they will be using in their hacking attacks. The hacker always comes prepared and never lacks a method to go around the security measures you have to defend your information. The hacker will also need to have several tools that they will use to infect your system once they have managed to get past your firewall and right into your operating system. Today, we will look at malware and what it is all about.
Malware is a huge concern for anyone that has been the victim of a hacker attack. It is the most common evidence that a hacker has been snooping around n your system and has left evidence of their malicious work.
Hackers use malware to infect a system. They usually infect the system if they do not find what they were looking for or have already copied the files they needed. In other cases, the hacker will install malware on a computer system to infect it and cause it to do something that they would not have been willing to perform on their computer.
For instance, when the hacker is looking to infect a system to use it as a computer for a denial of service attack, they will use malware to perform their dirty work. The use of malware is not always obvious, and some of the malware can be very silent and barely noticeable on your computer system. You will not even be able to notice that your computer has been infected by malware, and you will only get the police knocking on your door after your machine has been used in a distributed denial-of-service attack.
What is Malware?
Malware is the computer software created by the hacker and designed to hide in your operating system. It is a kind of computer virus that can connect to the computer and report your activities to the hacker. The malware is designed to carry out a specific task, and the kind of work that the malware will be carrying out will depend on the requirements of the hacker.
For instance, if your computer is used in bitcoin trading or trading stocks on the internet, the malware can be used to spy on you. In this case, the malware will be designed to take screenshots of your computer when trading and sending these to the hacker. In other words, malware can also be used as spyware, and you will not notice when hidden applications in your computer are monitoring your computer.
The malware is designed to hide in the operating system and the OS. It will look like the other normal processes. It will change its name to look like the other programs running on your computer, and as a result, it will become challenging to notice the application while running on your computer. Malware is designed to be as stealthy as possible, and the signature of the malware usually gets modified with every hour to stay hidden to the operating system and other computer software that you have installed, such as firewalls and antivirus applications.
When your antivirus software scans the processes and applications running on your computer, the malware will modify itself, including its descriptions. When it does this, it will appear as innocent applications or software processes to the scanning threads. As such, it is usually tough to detect malware on your computer as their signature gets modified all the time, and these are the kind of applications that are known to morph very rapidly to keep up with the antivirus software that keeps scanning for it.
Malware is specifically designed to carry out one function and do it very well. Some of the applications are intended to monitor your emails and network traffic, sending a summary of the report every day to the hacker that designed the malware in the first place. The other types of malware can even be used to send emails on your behalf, which means that you will not notice when you are having conversations with parties that you did not intend to.
Most of the time, hackers leave malware behind as a means of getting rid of all the traces that might lead back to them. The kind of malware that the hackers leave behind in these scenarios are the harmful kinds of malware. These modify the file types of the programs and files on your external storage and make it impossible to read files that you have loaded up on your computer. The malware intended to cause destruction on your computer will also make several copies of itself to survive and stay on your computer.
This is a response to detection by the antivirus application and one of the methods that malware uses to replicate itself on your computer and make it harder to be eliminated. Harmful malware is often a nuisance and will keep appearing in software scans. Your antivirus application will keep detecting an application or processes as malware when it has noticed that it keeps replicating itself on your computer. It will keep popping up alerts, and in many cases, you will have to format your computer or the external devices you have attached to the computer.
Malware can be spread in different ways, and getting it installed on a computer is one of the most complicated challenges for hackers. Usually, the malware will require some consent to get installed on your computer. In many cases, the hackers disguise the malware as a promotion or a winning message from a lottery or a favorite restaurant.
The computer user will get news that they have won lottery tickets or discounts at their favorite restaurants. When they click on the button, the operating system will have received permission to install the malware, and it will have installed onto the computer. In many cases, the malware will show an error message or disappear entirely after clicking on it.
Malware can be moved in the form of flash drives. When someone collects a flash drive that might have been dropped at the workplace by mistake, they will often connect it to their computer to see the files that are on it. Without a proper firewall and antivirus scanning applications, the malware will automatically install itself on the computer without even asking for consent from the user.
Flash drives are a common means of moving malware around and installing spyware on many computers. For this reason, you must set your antivirus application to scan any external storage that you install on it automatically. Suppose your antivirus software does not scan flash drives, or you do not have any antivirus application installed on your computer. In that case, any foreign drives will be one of the main ways to install malware on your computer.
Malware is always meant for malicious intentions, and the hackers will look for all means to get it installed on your computer. When you are browsing the web, you might get links that say download cleaner or ad blocker. These applications are malware disguised as browser extensions and will automatically get installed on your computer when browsing the internet. The applications are intended to act as spyware, and others will install browser extensions and change your search engine without your permission.
When you are on the internet, you should beware of ads and other pop-ups that claim to speed up the performance of your device. These are meant to install unwanted software on your computer, and this will cause a lot of inconveniences once you have installed them. As you continue using your laptop with these unwanted applications, you will be directed to websites that you did not intend to visit.
You will also receive regular notifications through your browser, which are very disturbing and not pleasing at all. The hackers are responsible for this malware which is intended to modify your browsing behavior. Others are designed to track your browsing activity right down to when you visit the web and the websites you visit more often.
Other means that hackers can use to install malware on your computer are hacking your computer and running the installation scripts themselves. This is often the case when they need many computers to be used in an upcoming distributed denial of service attack. The hacker will take their time scanning very many computers for open ports that are not in use. They will then target the computers that are most likely to have available ports that are easy to take over.
Once they have these computers, they will connect to them and install the malware by themselves. The process is simple when the hacker has many target devices that have not been appropriately configured. Hacking to install malware is expected whenever the hacker needs to install their malware on many computers and need to carry out a coordinated attack using a lot of computers.
The hacker will take their time to scan many computers on different networks and select the computers that seem to be easier to jack into. The hacker will then design a script that will hack into all these computers and install the malware on the computer.
Dangers of Malware
Malware does not always make itself evident, even when it has been installed on your computer. The malware will try as hard as it can to keep itself hidden on your computer. The scanner applications that are on your computer will not be able to detect the application. Usually, the malware will replace the processes and applications that are already installed on your computer. They will take up their names and descriptions to stay hidden.
When the antivirus applications scan the computer, they will not detect the new malware application as it will have replaced the applications that were already on the computer. As a result, it becomes tough to detect when the malware is on your computer, and when it is hidden, it can carry out a lot of harm and damage to your files and information.
The malware also tries as much as it can to ride on the other already running processes. Doing this will be able to avoid any detection, and the computer will run as it has been used to in the past. The computer will take over threads that are being used by other computer processes and use the processing space and resources assigned to other applications.
When the malware does this, it will not be easy to detect. The computer applications will continue to operate as if they are not being dragged down by an intensive background application that is uploading your files to the cloud or some other server that the hacker has set up to receive all the files that are being stolen from your computer by the malware.
Depending on what the malware was intended for, the malware can be harmful or simply harmless. Not all hackers are proficient programmers, and some merely design applications meant to be a nuisance without causing any real damage. These applications will keep showing notifications and hiding in the background. However, they will not do any real damage to your computer, and you can safely ignore such applications.
However, other applications and malware are intended to cause some real damage to your computer and file structure. Some of the malware hides the available space that you have on your storage devices. When you plug in your flash drive, you will notice that its available storage space is not what you would have expected.
This malware keeps itself hidden to the naked eye and appears in all your drives. When you look at the files you have on your computer, you will not see the malware as it will have changed itself to stay invisible. Unless you change the visibility of files on your storage drives, you will not see these applications, and the malware will remain hidden while causing damage to your computer in the background.
Malware can cause your computer to be used for destructive ends. The hackers might be using your computer to attack other computers. In this case, your computer is the proxy computer in the string of devices used to hide the hacker’s identity, in addition to causing damage to other computers and information systems. For instance, if the hacker intends to carry out a distributed denial-of-service attack, they will use malware to time and coordinate the attack.
In most cases, the hacker will have written the script in the malware to run at a particular time, and when it executes, it starts sending requests to the computers and servers that are the target of the denial of service attack. Whenever your computer is used in such a manner, you are also likely to be traced by the authorities and charged for something that you did not do. These are the dangers of malware, and hackers have been known to hide behind many computers that act as a proxy.
The use of malware makes it possible to bypass network regulations and policies on your computer and redirect all the hacker’s traffic through your computer. As a result, it will be tough to detect the hacker or even trace back to them as they will be using your computer to cover up their tracks.
The hackers will also use malware to infect computers and get noticed among their circles for it. For instance, they can create malware that will be sure to trend in the tech circles for a while. Depending on the intensity and severity of their malware, they will prove to their fellow hackers that they are capable of doing much damage to information systems.
As such, they will be growing their reputation and attracting more projects. Malware can also be used to annoy computer users and make their use of the computers hard. Some of the malware can be used to cause your computer to keep hanging or not respond for a while. As a result, the experience you get when using malware-infested computers will be slow and unpleasant.
Malware can cause damage on a large scale when it has been installed on a lot of computers. An entire network of malware-infected computers can be used for the hacker’s bidding and other attacks that need a lot of computing power. For instance, the hacker can infect many computers with malware to ensure that they have enough computing power to break encryption keys and decrypt the files and emails that they intercept on the networks they are monitoring.
Malware is dangerous, and whenever it has been installed on your computer, it will be tough to keep using it in the state. Most of the time, you will have to format your computer and install the operating system afresh. When you do this, all the traces of the malware will have been eliminated, and you will be able to keep using your computer without worrying about performance inhibitors that are malware. However, you will have to lose many files when you have been infected by malware, which means that your information will be lost when you have malware on your computer.
Malware is also known to eat into your files and the information that you have stored up on your computer. When you have been infected by malware, the malicious software will eat into the files you have on your computer and modify the other files. This will progress until your computer is unable to continue working correctly. As such, you must take measures and precautions to prevent malware infection in the first place.
When you can avoid getting infected, your computer will not be used as an additional computer in a swarm to carry out a hacking attack on a large scale. The hacker will also have a more challenging time getting the malware installed if you do not plug in all the flash drives that you find lying around in your computer.
This way, you will be able to stay safe, and no malware will be able to get past your defenses. It is also vital that you learn to recognize the early signs of malware in your computer system so that you can be able to eliminate it before it can replicate and cause more severe damage to your computer.
As a computer user, there are several tools that you can install on your computer. These applications will keep a constant watch on the processes and applications running in the background to ensure that you are alerted when you have malware running on your computer.
Additionally, when you are on the internet, be on the lookout for application adverts that claim to make your computer a lot faster. These are hoaxes that are designed to get you to install the malware that the hacker is promoting in the first place. When you install the software, your browsing experience will be modified, and you will not be able to enjoy using the internet with the constant popups and alerts due to the browser malware.
Preventing Malware
One of the best ways to avoid malware is to prevent it in the first place. By not installing the malware, you will have done yourself a huge favor of not getting the malware on your computer. When you have measures in place to ensure that all the files on your computer are continuously scanned, you will ensure that malware does not make it past your defenses.
Antivirus software is recommended as one of the primary means that you can use to ensure that you are not infected. However, the antivirus is useless if it is outdated and not regularly updated. When you are using a trial version of the antivirus applications, you will not use its features thoroughly.
Additionally, the software will not get complete updates, which means that its database of malware signatures and malware forms to hide from the antivirus software will not be comprehensive. As a result, the malware will hide from the antivirus software, and your computer will not get the protection it deserves.
Antivirus software and your operating system should always be set to automatically receive updates as this will ensure that your applications are the latest. The new patches installed together with the updates contain some of the defense updates that will increase the immunity of your computer system. When you ignore updating your antivirus software, you will be lagging on the updates and the patches, which are critical to keeping your computer safe and defending itself against all the malware that hackers might be distributed in various forms to computers around the world.
The benefit of updating your antivirus software is that you get to receive the newest signatures used by malware to keep itself hidden. As such, you will be able to keep up with the malware and uproot it from whenever it might be hiding on your computer system.
Additionally, ensure that you always scan the devices that you connect your computer to. When you are transferring files through a flash drive, first check the drive before opening. Doing this will ensure that you are fully confident that your flash drive does not contain any harmful software and is free of any malware.
Additionally, it would be best if you also scanned several times before opening the drive. Even when there is a prompt for opening the flash drive, you should ignore this first as you scan your drive for malicious software. Opening before scanning can cause some applications to start themselves and hide in your computer as computer processes that the operating system will not notice.
Additionally, you must keep scanning your computer routinely for any malware that might have been installed on the computer. Regular scanning of the files that are on your computer will ensure that you do not get infected. Any malware or traces thereof that remain on your computer will be eliminated before they can do anything significant on your computer.
When you are browsing the internet, ensure that you make use of an internet antivirus. Most of the antivirus applications that are used these days have a firewall and an internet monitor. In addition to keeping malware from appearing on your browsers, the antivirus will also warn you when you are about to visit a phishing website, ensuring that you’re protected when you use the internet.
When you are browsing, the use of firewalls will also filter and monitor the content that you access on the internet to ensure that you do not download plugins and software components that are harmful to your computer. Additionally, always scan all the links in your email messages, and whenever you have been sent attachments in your emails, do not open them before scanning them first.
Scanning them will ensure that you do not open an application that will harm your computer. Harmful software can be hidden in the attachments such that when you are reading the innocent-looking content on the attachment, the malicious software will install itself quietly in the background.
Always read the descriptions of the applications that you want to install from the internet. At least visit the developer’s website to get more information about them before you can install your new applications. This will ensure that you are getting your software from credible sources and getting the clean stuff. Whenever you research software before installing it, you will get safer software that does not come with any threads attached.
Whenever you are using your computer, keep your antivirus on and ensure that you do not install all the devices that you notice lying around. Additionally, do not leave flash drives in their port when you turn off the computer. When you leave the flash drive attached, it will be easier for the malware to install itself to your computer when the computer is getting booted up.
At this moment, the malware will embed itself even deeper into your computer, and you will not be able to detect it. Malware has been known to take over the computer, and we do not exactly know how far the malware can embed itself on your computer. When the malware is embedded in the operating system, you will have to replace the operating system, which will also mean losing all your data.
Whenever you notice any suspicious activity on your computer, such as programs starting themselves without notice or notifications filling up your screen, then you are likely to be infected by malware and other malicious software.
When you are using your computer and notice that it is getting slower, this is a sign that it has been infected by malware. Even when malware has been hidden from the operating system, its active operation will impact the overall performance of your computer, which will cause your computer to become much slower as a result.
When you have a slow computer, you should scan your computer for malware and ensure that you upgrade your antivirus application to get the latest signatures that will uproot the malware that is morphing itself and evolving its process signature as it keeps making itself look similar to the other applications that are installed on your computer.
What to Do if Malware infects you
So, when you have been infected by malware, what are you supposed to do? What are the steps that you are supposed to follow when you have been infected by malware? Malware is hazardous software and can cause a lot of damage to your computer systems. The first step when you notice malware on your computer is not to panic.
Avoid panicking, as this can cloud your judgment and cause you to take actions that are not guided. The next step should be to identify the malware on your computer. You can look at the processes that are running on your computer to identify the ones that are taking up the highest amount of processing power. When you have this information, you will be able to identify the potential culprits that might have infected your computer and are using up chunks of processing power without you being aware of it.
Another step that is also important when you notice that you have been infected by malware is getting antivirus software installed on your computer. If you have been ignoring the antivirus software for the longest time, then this is the moment to upgrade your laptop with a new antivirus application.
Most of the antivirus software applications available have a free trial that you can use to access the full features of the software. When you have a free trial, it will be enough to eliminate the malware and ensure that you are not easily infected.
The use of antivirus software will ensure that all the signatures that the malware is trying to take up to avoid detection will be immediately recognized, and the application will be eliminated from your computers. Antivirus software can also identify malware on your computer system much faster than other methods used to combat the spread of malware on your computer.
When you have antivirus on your computer, you will be able to clean out your file systems from all traces of the malware. You will also be able to keep your files free from the malware, and any processes that were used to hide the malware will be freed up. The performance of your computer will increase considerably when you have eliminated the malware, which is why you need to ensure that you have antivirus software on your computer.
Additionally, your operating system should also be set to receive essential and critical security updates automatically. When the operating system vendor provides these updates, you should have them installed on your computer to ensure that you can combat malware more effectively.
When you are infected by malware, you will need to clean your files, and this makes use of applications that you can find on the internet. When you have your files cleaned and sanitized, all the traces of the malware will be eliminated from your computer, and you will be confident in the knowledge that the malware is no longer on your computer.
Malware also needs that you get rid of the applications you suspect are the cause of the infection. Look at the applications and software add-ons that you recently installed to identify the culprits responsible for the malware infection. When you remove the application that brought the malware with it, you will also get rid of the malware.
Your firewalls will also need an upgrade and boosting when you are infected by malware. When you upgrade your firewalls, the malware will not find its way over the network. Even when it is on the inside, your computer will not be used for denial of service attacks, and you will be safer when your network filters all the traffic that is moving in and out of your computer.
Your firewall is the principal protection against incoming malware, and when you have a robust firewall to keep you safe, malware will not have to be a concern for you. You will be able to keep the malware at bay, and your network will be much cleaner. Your browsing will also be a lot safer when you have a trusted firewall application keeping all your online activity safe and secure.
Malware and Mobile Devices
Malware can take on any form, provided it can run code on your computer and carry out network operations. Mobile devices are not entirely safe from malware, and these small programs can install themselves along with the other apps that you install on your mobile device.
The malware on a mobile device is very hard to detect as it will conceal itself as a background service and progressively eat its way through your files. To manage the malware that is on your mobile device, always scan the applications that you install and ensure that you install a new application from sources that can be trusted.
Whenever you install applications from sources other than your mobile app store, you should ensure that you scan the apps before installing them. Also, be keener on the permissions that are requested by the applications that you install.
Some of the applications will ask to install additional modules as they are run, and this might include downloading malware the whole the application is being used. As a result, you should make sure that you scan all the apps on your device and ensure that you do not grant software permissions to these apps without thinking twice.
Conclusion
Malware is one of the tools that are in the hacker’s arsenal. The hacker will use malware to clear all traces of their activity after hacking a computer system. They might also use the malware as a sign that they were on your computer.
Hackers use malware to multiply the software that they craft up for computer systems, and as such, you must learn how to handle malware. There are various signs of malware infections, such as unusual activity on your computer and the computer’s performance dropping for unknown reasons.
You can also manage malware on your computer by ensuring that you install the best antivirus applications and keep upgrading these to ensure that you have the latest and most accurate database of known malware in the wild. Regular scanning of your file system will ensure that any malware still hiding on your system gets shaken out and eliminated from your computer system.
You must understand malware and the signs of its infection. When you can notice malware infections early enough, you will be able to stem the degree or extent of its damages and the activity that the malware will have managed to do on your computer.
Additionally, knowing how malware gets on your computer will make you more cautious about attaching flash drives and inserting new storage devices in your computer without scanning them first. You will also have more caution when you are on the internet, and you will not click on banners and promotional messages for no reason.
Even when the sign says that you have won or you need to download software to speed up your computer, what you will get in the end will be a lot different from what you would have expected to get. Stay informed and keep malware at bay and away from your precious files.