A very common question in different locations is whether an anti-malware program also protects against viruses and whether your antivirus can be sufficient against any type of cyber threat. The term "malware" is the abbreviation of " software mal igno", therefore this word tends to indicate any type of computer virus such as trojan, rootkit or spyware.
To be precise, a virus is a type of malware just as abdominal pain is a type of disease therefore an antimalware is also an antivirus by definition.
Since there may be various types of abdominal pains, with different symptoms and causes, there are also different categories for malware, and sometimes malicious software may not even be a virus.
Let's see then, for educational and prevention purposes, an easy and complete summary of how to recognize the various types of malware to know if your PC is protected against each of these threats .
Before listing the various types of malware, trying to always remain practical rather than theoretical, let's see what the difference is between the terms "anti-virus" and "anti-malware", which are often used in a confused way.
Some users are led to believe that antivirus solutions are more effective than programs that protect against malware.
The issue is rather complicated because, nowadays, all the most common antivirus software also protect against all types of malware but are always called "Antivirus" because, commercially, it is more popular.
In addition, in some cases, some programs call themselves "anti-malware" although they do not offer complete protection against all types of threats, but specialize in only one category.
Knowing what types of malware exist and knowing the difference between Trojan, Spyware, Virus, Worm is very important to be sure that the antivirus that you are using or that you want to download or buy protects against all types of infections or if he specializes only on some.
In this way, reading the specifics of the various programs regarding the protections available, each one will be able to answer to those kind of questions like: " I have an Avast, Spybot and MalwareBytes antivirus, I am protected"> According to the definitions indicated by Emsisoft, a malware can be :
1) Virus
A computer virus attacks the code of a program or application and replicates itself automatically so that it can spread using that application.
The name is analogous to its biological namesake: not only does a computer virus render the attacked software unusable, but it works in the background (hiding) by performing malicious tasks.
As for viruses, I wrote in the past a post on the most dangerous types of computer viruses in which the difference between Trojan and Worm is more fully explained.
2) Trojan horse / Trojan horse
A Trojan is a type of malware disguised as useful software.
The user then runs the Trojan thinking it is a normal program, gives him full control of the pc and makes him able to do damage.
3) Worm
Worms are malicious software programs developed to spread as quickly as possible after the PC has been infected.
Unlike viruses, they do not exploit the presence of other programs to multiply but exploit storage devices such as USB sticks, e-mails or vulnerabilities in the operating system.
Their propagation slows down the performance of PCs and networks, spreads data externally and can cause problems with the general functioning of the PC.
4) Keylogger
The Keylogger is often brought by a worm or a Trojan and is that program capable of "reading" what is typed on the computer keyboard, saving it and sending it outside.
The KeyLogger is a program that allows pirates to steal passwords or other important data such as online banking data.
On another page you can try a Keylogger to spy on a PC while in a specific article the best anti-keylogger programs are listed.
5) Dialers
Dialers are relics of a bygone era when you surfed the internet using dial-up modems.
These viruses were able to dial phone numbers automatically and without being noticed to connect to external providers.
The victim therefore, instead of connecting with his subscription, perhaps connected to a Brazilian provider, thus receiving a very expensive telephone bill.
Dialers have no effect on cable or ADSL connections and are practically instincts.
6) Backdoor / Bot
A backdoor is usually software that allows developers to access their PC and all its functions.
Backdoors are often installed after running a Trojan.
The infected PC becomes part of a botnet or a computer network that is used by the hacker for his purposes.
Botnets can be used for illegal purposes, to send spam, to send cyber attacks and so on, therefore the victim finds himself, unbeknownst to him, to perform serious illegal actions and pursued by law.
In posts about anti-botnet control and how Anonymous's Ddos attacks occur, I explained that there are thousands of computers in the world that are part of these botnets and that are used remotely by hackers for their purposes.
7) Exploit
Exploits are used to systematically exploit vulnerabilities in a computer program (such as Windows or Internet Explorer).
Anyone who attacks the PC gains control of it or at least part of it.
8) Spyware
Spyware is software that spies on user activity on your computer and the internet.
This type of malware collects data from users other than the PC without being noticed.
9) Adware
Adware is a term derived from "advertisement" or advertising.
Most often, when you download a free program, it also shows advertisements and is an adware.
Adware per se is not dangerous and can be endured unless they lead to displaying too much advertising, disturbing the user in using the program. In these cases they are detected by anti-malware.
A very annoying type of adware are some browser toolbars because they bring the display of advertisements without adding any useful functions.
Then see the best antispyware and adware programs .
10) Rootkit
A rootkit is a component of the operating system that needs to be loaded when the computer starts and that requires full access.
If a malware is a rootkit, the problem is very serious because it loads and hides in a legitimate process.
Most free antivirus do not detect rootkits so, to protect yourself, you need to do manual scans with other security software (more details are in the posts on the anti-rootkit protection of Hijackthis and the verification of the security of the PC and the system rootkits.
Fortunately, a rootkit malware does not install itself but is brought by an exploit or a Trojan therefore, if you have an antivirus with real-time protection, it should prevent their execution.
11) Rogues / Scareware
" Rogue AntiSpyware " or " Rogue AntiVirus " are fake programs that pretend to be security software and take the PC hostage.
They tell the user that their pc is full of viruses and can only be removed by buying the program.
In severe cases, the PC can stop working until the purchase is made.
In another article I reported an excellent program to eliminate fake antivirus from your computer.
12) Ransomware
Ransom malware is similar to Rogues: they encrypt users' personal data or block the entire PC by taking the computer hostage until you pay the ransom through an anonymous service.
Today there are hardly any more disastrous malware of the past such as Blaster or Sasser that completely compromised the functions of the computer by forcing the user to format.
Today, virus infiltration methods are mainly oriented towards data theft through Trojans, Exploits, Keyloggers and Spyware that are installed by inexperienced users.
In recent years there has been an evolution in the way of designing viruses that no longer spread individually.
The typical case is that of a PC attacked by a Trojan or an exploit or a Worm which installs a backdoor to gain access to the PC on which to install a keylogger, a rootkit, a spyware or other.
This will give the hacker full access to the PC which will be able to read all passwords and other personal data and will be able to use that PC at will.
After this explanation it should be easier to understand if your PC is protected enough against all threats or if you need to install additional protections.
Complete and updated antivirus like Kaspersky, ESET, Avast, Avira, AVG, MSE (see the best free antivirus 2012 and antimalware like HitmanPro, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SUPERAntiSpyware (mentioned in the general guide to remove any malware from your computer ) should be sufficient for general pc protection
