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Internet Security
What
is Malware? Bad For Your Computer?
Malware
means software that was made to get into and damage your
computer system without your consent. Once it appears on your machine, it can be very challenging
to get rid of. While it differs from program to program, malware
can either be annoying or seriously damaging to all components
of your system. By law, malware is a computer contaminant,
making it completely illegal.
There
are a number of different goals involved with malware. The earliest malware programs were written as pranks or experiments.
As some programmers begin to learn their way around systems
and the internet, they wrote malware just to see what they
can do with it. For example, a beginning programmer might write
a virus code to see how far it could spread. Others, though,
have far more hostile intents for writing malware. One reason
they might write code like this is to vandalize current
websites. This is a lot like kids with a can of spray paint near a public
wall. Another reason malware gets written is to cause a loss
of data to major systems. Malware can completely erase
the memory files of computer systems if written properly, and many
malware authors have this intention, for one reason or another,
as they write their vicious code. There have been many pieces
of malware written for revenge. Employees who are about to
lose their jobs can sometimes leave malware behind on the company
system to do damage to their former employer's ability
to do business. Lots of malware, though is written for profit. Malware
can send e-mail spam (so the original sender is disguised),
cause the computer to serve as a host to illegal data, or engage
in other illegal activities. Moreover, malware can be used
to spy on users, display pop-ups while the user is not on the
internet, and obtain user information like bank accounts or
credit card numbers.
There
are two major types of malware: viruses and worms. A
virus is a program that infects other programs. A worm transmits
itself to infect other computers. The terms, though, are often
used interchangeably by those who do not understand their meanings.
No matter the type of malware, in order for it to work correctly,
it must be able to run without the user shutting the computer
down. Being hidden also helps the program to get installed
in the first place. Because of this, malware is usually disguised
as a Trojan horse. This is a program that quietly runs in the
background, inviting the user to run it, while spreading its
malicious code. This code can do any number of things. It can
start right away or it may simply install a program that won't
start for sometime. Once it does start, it can delete all of
the files on the computer or it can infect the computer and
try to infect other computers on the network. There are a number
of ways malware is delivered, and as a Trojan horse is the
most common. It usually comes with other pieces of software
that a user might find interesting. This software is usually
shared through a file-sharing network or downloadable off of
the internet. Once the user installs the software, the spyware
also gets installed.
As previously mentioned, in the last few years, the most common
reason malware is infecting computers is for the profit of
the malware creator. In most cases, it gets information about
the computer user and shows them pop-up ads related to their
needs. It can even redirect internet search engine results
to the benefit of the malware creator. In addition to these
things, malware can infect your e-mail address book. Once this
occurs, spam will be sent to every single person in your address
book. This spam will usually be an advertisement of some sort
for the malware creator's website. Once infected with malware,
the creator can also profit from it by stealing important information
like bank account information, credit card numbers, or contact
information. It can steal the password information for your
software licensing. Malware can also take control of your modem
to make expensive telephone calls from the creator.
Once infected, a malware computer is very difficult to clean.
It usually takes a complete system deletion to restore your
computer to its normal state.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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