The Different Faces of Malware

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Most users are only familiar with computer viruses. They are not familiar with the other types of malware that can equally wreak havoc on any computer system. There are three broad types of malware out there in the Internet:

• Viruses
• Spyware
• Adware

Viruses are the worst of the bunch. They aim to destroy as much of your system as possible, replicate quickly and spread to other systems. Worms are similar to viruses except that they replicate without user intervention, unlike viruses which requires the user to run an executable file. Trojans are also similar to viruses except that they are part of a real application which also does other seemingly useful stuff. Rootkits are somewhat of a cross between viruses and trojans.

Spyware could also damage computer systems but the main goal of spyware is to conceal itself and gather data such as user accounts and passwords, credit card information and other personal data. It then sends these data to its creator. While it can be made to damage computer systems, it usually do not because then, it won’t be able to collect data. Keyloggers are a type of spyware.

Finally, there is adware. It normally installs itself along with a free program you install. It’s purpose is to display ads to you and gather surfing habits so as to present relevant ads. While not as nefarious as either viruses or spyware, it can eat a lot of bandwidth and system resources which can slow down your system and Internet connection.

Every Internet surfer needs to be aware of these threats and protect herself accordingly.