Viruses, worms, bots, oh my! All of these names sound more like characters in a science fiction novel than different types of malicious software. Despite this, all these types of malware are not at all fictional; What's more, the economic damage they can cause by attacking your data or your equipment is very real.
Although the different types of malicious software (or malware) work differently, they all have the same goal: to install unwanted software on the victim's computer or network for malicious purposes ranging from those that are simply annoying to industrial espionage.
Two of the most common types of malware are viruses and worms. Knowing how they work can help you more quickly limit the damage caused by a malware attack and even prevent infections entirely.
Viruses in Word Documents
Viruses and worms differ in two main respects: in how they spread or 'replicate' and in their level of autonomy. To work, viruses need a file (eg a Word document) or a program (eg that free PDF separator you downloaded) to act as a carrier. And to replicate, they need the intervention of a human being to send them via email, messages, attachments, etc. Viruses cannot replicate themselves.
Worms, however, are capable of replicating themselves, being able to send themselves via email to other computers and networks without the intervention of a human being.
This autonomy of worms makes them more aggressive or contagious, unlike viruses, which can remain dormant on a computer for years, waiting for a user to open an infected file. Using a cinematic analogy, worms would be like a Predator, while viruses would be like an Alien.
How Does a Virus Replicate?
Computer viruses are transmitted like biological viruses. For example, a common cold is spread through person-to-person contact. We are the ones who spread cold germs to other people through our sneezes and coughs. If another person breathes in the viruses that we have exhaled, that's it! We just passed the virus to you. Similarly, a human action (the equivalent of coughing or sneezing) is necessary to replicate a virus.
We can replicate computer viruses by sending an infected file to other users in an email message, using instant messaging, etc. Like us, the recipient will open the attachment without knowing that it is infected. Most users open the attachments they receive because they trust the person who sent them. That is, for a virus to be able to replicate, human action and a bit of naivety on the part of another user are necessary.
Social Engineering
The term 'social engineering' refers to the methods used to trick people into spreading malware to other users. Hackers use our own presumptions and overconfidence to mislead us.
For example, when we visit our bank's website, we tend to look first at the most recognizable features: the company name, the logo, and whether or not the page layout looks familiar. All these elements help us to confirm that we are in the right place. Instead of applying more critical criteria, we immediately compare what we see with what we expect. And as soon as we confirm our basic expectations, we click.
Hackers take advantage of this to create malicious copies of legitimate websites and email addresses and steal our credentials and confidential information. In fact, those digital counterfeits don't even have to be perfect copies, just look close enough to match our expectations. That is why it is better not to click on the links received in an email when accessing a website, and instead use the bookmarks of our browser to ensure that we go to the place we want.
How to Protect Yourself
Although viruses and worms are different, the precautions you must take to protect yourself from them are similar.
1) Avoid Opening Messages or Attachments That Come From Unknown Sources
Social engineering is very powerful and takes advantage of our presumptions and overconfidence, but it is possible to combat it by paying more attention to our interactions on the Web. Inspect the emails you receive carefully. Phishing emails often have characteristics that give them away. Most importantly, never open files included in emails received from sources you don't know. If you don't recognize the origin of an email, delete the attached file. Do not be carried away by curiosity or you could pay dearly.
2) Avoid Unsafe Web Pages
Unsafe pages do not encrypt the communications they establish with the browser in the same way as to secure pages. Fortunately, it is quite easy to identify an unsecured web page. The URL that appears in the browser begins with HTTP. Try to visit only pages that start with HTTPS (the 's' stands for 'secure'). There are browser extensions such as HTTPS Everywhere that is very useful for accessing only HTTPS sites.
3) Update Your Operating Systems
Hackers love to discover security holes in operating systems like Windows. It is a game of cat and mouse between them and the software engineers, who continually test, identify, and patch the entry pathways they find in their own software. The result of this effort is security updates. Updates to your operating system are used to apply these patches as soon as they are released, increasing your level of protection. Set your operating system to update automatically.
4) Be Selective With Your Programs
Like operating systems, the apps you install on your devices must also be updated - and for the same reason. And in addition to updating them, you must also decide if you really need them or not. Remember, viruses need carrier files and programs to hide and run. Decide if you really need an app before installing it and, if you already have it, think about whether you use it a lot or not. The more applications you have, the more updates there will be. And the greater the number of updates, the more chances of suffering an infection or security breach.
There are a couple of programs that you should pay special attention to Adobe Flash and Acrobat Reader. Both are top targets for cybercriminals. If you don't use them, it is best to uninstall them.
5) Install Antivirus Protection
The simplest and most effective way to protect yourself from viruses and worms is to install a good antivirus like Protegent360 total security. Antivirus programs don't fall for the traps of social engineering. They are not carried away by their assumptions. They scan all the files you open and all the programs you run for viruses and worms. And good antivirus programs do it in real-time.s
Now you know the differences between viruses and worms, how they spread and where they hide. Be extra cautious the next time you open an email from an unknown source or visit a page that is familiar to you. Following these recommendations and installing an antivirus program is the best way to avoid malware.
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