Computer Malware

Types of malware

A malware is a software that is designed to get on a computer and cause harms to the information there or problems with the way it works. Malware is the colloquial name for malicious software. Computer malware can be categorized as the follows:

• Virus
  • A computer virus is a program that tries to replicate itself inside other executable code.
  • A computer virus is a type of computer program that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. When this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be infected with a computer virus (from Wikipedia).
• Worm
  • Worm runs independently and propagates to other network hosts.
  • A computer worm is a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.(from Wikipedia)
• Trojan horse
  • Trojan horse replaces all or part of a previously useful program.
  • In computing, a Trojan horse, or Trojan, is any malware which misleads users of its true intent. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the deceptive Trojan Horse that led to the fall of the city of Troy. Unlike computer viruses and worms, Trojans generally do not attempt to inject themselves into other files or otherwise propagate themselves. (from Wikipedia)
• Spy-ware
  • Spy-ware collects information and transmits it to another system.
  • Spyware is a software that aims to gather information about a person or organization, without their knowledge, and send such information to another entity without the consumer’s consent. (from Wikipedia)
    - Logic bomb
  • Logic bomb lies dormant until some condition is met.
  • A logic bomb is a piece of code intentionally inserted into a software system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met. For example, a programmer may hide a piece of code that starts deleting files (such as a salary database trigger), should they ever be terminated from the company. (from Wikipedia)
• Bot
  • Bot takes control of another computer and uses it to launch attacks.
  • In computing, a zombie is a computer connected to the Internet that has been compromised by a hacker, computer virus or trojan horse program and can be used to perform malicious tasks of one sort or another under remote direction. (from Wikipedia)
• Ransomware
  • Ransomware is a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.
• Adware
  • portmanteau from advertising-supported software
  • it generates revenue for its developer by automatically generating online advertisements in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user.

Activity involved

Computer malware can also be classified in terms of the activities involved:

• Phishing
  • Sending an email or electronic message from an apparently legitimate source requesting confidential information.
  • Phishing is the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.Typically carried out by email spoofing or instant messaging, it often directs users to enter personal information at a fake website which matches the look and feel of the legitimate site. (from Wikipedia)
• Pharming
  • setting up a bogus website which appears to be a legitimate site.
  • Pharming is a cyberattack intended to redirect a website’s traffic to another, fake site. Pharming can be conducted either by changing the hosts file on a victim’s computer or by exploitation of a vulnerability in DNS server software. Pharming requires unprotected access to target a computer, such as altering a customer’s home computer, rather than a corporate business server. (from Wikipedia)

Note: Pay special attention to the bold words. They specify the features of each kind and the differences between them.