We live a digital life, which has also increased the risk of being exposed to malicious software. However, knowing what you need to protect yourself against in everyday digital life can be difficult.
For example, most people don’t know what malware really is, or how they can protect themselves from it. More people than ever are using computers- from tiny children to the elderly.
But malware doesn’t have an age limit; anyone can get affected by this parasitic computer virus. It can and will put anyone in danger, as well as their personal files and information.
As more and more of our information is stored digitally, our devices have become popular targets for hackers. We often talk about malware (or malicious software), but this is something that comes in many shapes and colors.
Malware is only a general term for worms, viruses, Trojans, ransomware, bots, botnets, adware, spyware, rootkits, malvertising, and a number of other forms of malware.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some types of malware you should be aware of and how you can reduce the risk of your device being infected by them.
4 Types of Malware and How to Protect Yourself From It
What is Malware?
Malicious software usually aims to gain access to sensitive information on a device. In most cases, this will be about financial gain, but several types of malware only intend to destroy as much as possible.
We will therefore look at some of the most common types so that you know what you are up against in the fight against malware.
Worms
Worms are a popular type of software that hackers use to gain access to various devices or networks. These are not dependent on specific programs or the like, which makes them very effective for hackers.
A worm only needs a weak point in the network to gain access, and then it moves silently around to achieve its purpose. This could be, for example, installing a backdoor for hackers or stealing certain information from the system.