What is malware ?

Malware is a general name that can be given to a piece of code that installs itself and runs on a computer system without the users knowledge, often to detrimental effect.

 

Although many people are familiar with the term 'Computer Virus', the term 'Malware' also encompases ransomware, spyware, trojans and viruses.

Types of malware

There are hundreds of thousands of types of malware. The most dangerous types aim to exploit the computer it installs itself upon (known as the 'host'), find relevant data and copy it across the internet to another computer. The data could be email addresses, bank account details, social media passwords, or even PIN numbers. Most pieces of malware are contracted via an internet connection, sometimes without user intervention.

Malware removal

Depending on the type of infection, some malware can be easily removed but others will require the whole computer to be reinstalled and configured from scratch, possibly losing data on the way. If a network has become infected, every connected device should carefully checked to ensure that the malware has been completely removed and there are no remnants left which could become infected at a later time. Some Malware can appear to be removed but remain dormant for some time.

Malware protection

It has been jokingly said that: '..The best way to protect a computer system against an infections is not to turn it on!...', Whilst this is excellent advice, it is somewhat impractical.

 

Most popular Anti-Virus and Internet Security products will provide good protection against malware, but it is important that they are installed and configured correctly; if not the computer system can run particularly slowly.