What is Computer Virus and Malware? What Are Their Types?

Computer viruses are small programs capable of causing great inconvenience to individuals, companies, and other institutions, after all, they can erase data, capture information, alter or impede the operation of the operating system, and so on. As if that were not enough, there are other similar software, such as  Trojan horses,  worms, hijackers,  spyware, and ransomware. In this text, you will learn a little about how these true "digital plagues" act and learn the basic differences between them.

Before, What is Malware?

It is common for people to call viruses any program for malicious purposes. But, as the first paragraph of the text indicates, there are several types of "digital plagues", viruses being just one category of them.

Currently, a more heated term is used to generalize these programs: the name malware, a combination of the words malicious and software which means "malicious program". Therefore, malware is nothing more than a name created for when we need to refer to malicious software, be it a virus, worm, spyware, etc.

It is important to note that the word "computer" is used in this text in the broadest way, considering the various types of computing devices that exist: desktops, servers, smartphones, tablets, and so on.

It is also worth noting that malware is not limited to a single platform. There are those who think, for example, that there are only digital plagues for Windows, but that is not true. What happens is that the Microsoft family of operating systems is more popular and therefore more targeted. As there is no 100% secure software, malware can also be developed to attack any other platform, after all, there is always someone willing to discover and exploit its deficiencies.

What is a Computer Virus?

Illustrative image of virusesAs you already know, a  virus is a program with malicious purposes, capable of causing inconvenience with the most diverse types of actions: there are viruses that erase or alter users' files, which impair the functioning of the operating system by damaging or altering its functionality, which cause excess traffic on networks, among others.

Viruses, like any other type of malware, can be created in several ways. The first ones were developed in programming languages ​​like C and Assembly. Today, it is possible to even find tools that help in its creation.

How Do Viruses Act?

Viruses receive this name because they have propagation characteristics that resemble real viruses, that is, biological ones: when a virus contaminates a computer, in addition to carrying out the action for which it was programmed, it also tries to spread itself to other machines, just as they do biological viruses in the invading organisms.

In the past, viruses had a very limited range of action: they spread, for example, whenever a contaminated floppy disk was read on the computer. With the emergence of the internet, however, this situation has changed dramatically, for the worse.

This is because, with the internet, viruses can spread much faster and infect a much more significant number of computers. For this, they can explore several means, among them:

• Security flaws ( bugs ): operating systems and other programs are not perfect software and can contain flaws. These, when discovered by people with malicious purposes, can be exploited by viruses, allowing contamination of the system, often without the user noticing;
• E-mails: this is one of the most explored practices. The user receives messages that try to convince him to execute a file attached or present on a link. If the user does it without realizing that he is being deceived, his computer will surely be contaminated;
• Downloads: the user can download a file from a specific website without realizing that it may be infected.

Viruses can also spread through a combination of means. For example, a person in an office can execute an e-mail attachment and thereby contaminate your computer. Then this same virus can try to exploit security holes in other computers on the network to infect them.

Other Types of Malware

As you already know, viruses are not the only malware that exists. The definition of what the pest is or does not depend essentially on its actions and ways of propagation. Here are the most common types:

Trojan Horse (Trojan)

Trojan horses  (or  Trojans ) are a type of malware that allow some way of remote access to the computer after infection. This type of pest can have other features, such as capturing user data to transmit it to another machine.

In order to be able to enter the computer, the Trojan horse usually passes for another program or file. The user can, for example, download it thinking that it is a tool for a specific purpose when, in fact, it is a trojan.

This type of malware is not designed to replicate itself. When this happens, it is usually a joint action with a virus.

Worm

The worms  (or maggots) can be interpreted as a more intelligent type of virus than others. The main difference is in the form of propagation: worms can spread to other computers quickly - either over the internet or via a local network - automatically.

It is explained: in order to act, the virus needs to have the "support" of the user. This occurs, for example, when a person downloads an infected attachment from an email and executes it. Worms, in turn, can infect the computer in a totally discrete way, exploiting flaws in applications or the operating system itself. Of course, a worm can also rely on a user's action to spread, as generally this type of malware is created to infect as many computers as possible, making any means that allow it to be acceptable.

Spyware

Spywares are programs that "spy" on users' activities or capture information about them. To infect a computer, spyware is often "embedded" in the software of questionable origin, often offered as freeware or shareware.

The captured data is later transmitted over the internet. This information can range from user browsing habits to passwords.

Keylogger

Keyloggers are small applications that can be embedded in viruses, spyware, or software of doubtful origin. Its function is to capture everything that is typed by the user. It is one of the ways used to capture passwords.

Hijacker

Hijackers are programs or scripts that "hijack" internet browsers. The main victims were the older versions of Internet Explorer. A hijacker can, for example, change the browser's home page and prevent the user from changing it, display advertisements in new windows, install toolbars, and prevent access to certain websites (pages of antivirus companies, for example). Fortunately, today's browsers have more security features, considerably limiting the action of this type of digital pest.

Rootkit

This is one of the most dangerous types of malware. They can be used for various purposes, such as capturing user data. So far, nothing new. What makes rootkits so threatening is their ability to hinder their detection by antivirus or other security software. In other words, rootkits are able to "camouflage" themselves in the system. For this, rootkit developers can make use of several advanced techniques, such as infiltrating malware into active processes in memory, for example.

In addition to being difficult to detect, rootkits are also difficult to remove. Fortunately, their complexity of development means that they are not very numerous.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware with a bolder "purpose": once active, the pest can block or limit (or allow its creator to do it remotely) access to files, folders, applications, entire storage units or even prevent the use of the operating system. To release these resources, the ransomware usually shows messages demanding payments. It is as if the computer has been hijacked.

To convince the user to pay the required amount, the message may contain threats or blackmail, saying, for example, that important data will be deleted or that private images of the person will be published on the internet if payment is not made.

Users who have their computer infected with ransomware should not give in to pressure and pay, not least because, not infrequently, nothing happens when this is done. Ideally, the person should use security software (endpoint security software) to try to remove the pest or, if unsuccessful, look for someone they can trust to do so.

What is the Damage Caused by Ransomware | Total Security

If you are infected with ransomware, you will not be able to perform normal operations such as encrypting files stored on your PC or changing your password. It features a warning screen when you try to access your data, asking you to pay in exchange for recovering your data. Malicious threats have also been reported, such as gradual deletion of data at regular intervals if payment requests are not followed.

In addition, there is a risk that not only will the files on the infected PC be encrypted, but the data on another storage connected to the PC will also be encrypted. In addition, ransomware has caused damage by changing the target, scale, and system shape several times. Information should always be gathered as ransomware threats continue to exist.

Cases of Damage Caused by Ransomware

Reveton

Ransomware that spread around 2012. It gets into your PC as a Trojan horse and locks your system for fictitious reasons as you download pirated software or illegal porn on your infected PC. The notification is disguised as if it was sent by the police, and it is devised to display the user's IP address on the screen.

WannaCry

It is said to be the largest attack in history, and in 2017, more than 200,000 large-scale infections in 150 countries were confirmed. Damage reports from Japanese companies have also been confirmed. WannaCry spread the infection by exploiting a security flaw, a "vulnerability" that Microsoft could not address. The infection has spread not only to individuals and businesses but also to government agencies and hospitals, causing confusion in Europe, such as hospital closures due to damage.

Transmission Route

It is said that there are two main routes of ransomware infection: "website" and "email". Let's understand the characteristics of each to prevent infection.

Website

Techniques such as WannaCry that attack security vulnerabilities are also cases of using websites. When an attacker creates a website with a virus and a user browses it, it becomes infected with ransomware. Even if it is a legitimate website, an attacker invaded and unknowingly rewrote the program. Recently, it has spread in the corporate network through infected terminals, and there is a strong tendency to target companies that are not well managed and cannot frequently update security.

Other reports have shown that users can install ransomware themselves. For example, when you visit a particular site, the site will appear garbled and you will be prompted to install the font. Clicking the install button is a way to install ransomware instead of fonts.

Email

In the case of email, a Trojan horse-like technique that infects ransomware by opening links and attachments in the text is a standard. If you misunderstand that the email has important content such as an invoice or out-of-office notification and open the document file, the device will be infected with ransomware. The content of the email may be spam or targeted email.

In the case of spam mail, it can be automatically eliminated to some extent by using the junk mail filter. On the other hand, in the case of targeted emails, the emails are sent as if they were related parties, so you need to make your own judgment. If you do not know the danger of ransomware, you may open it by mistake, so take measures such as strengthening security software and regularly checking whether your PC is up to date.

How to Protect From Ransomware Infection

There is no authoritative option to protect your data from ransomware infection but using a new generation antivirus like total security can extend your level of security to a new height.

Why Does Your Windows - Not Just Windows 10 - Need Endpoint Security?

Windows 10 and Endpoint Security

Windows 10, despite being considered the most secure Windows operating system, is not without its flaws. Security experts have proven that Windows' built-in security features, such as Windows Defender, Firewall, etc., are also proving ineffective.

Therefore, companies using the Windows 10 operating system need endpoint security to protect the various terminals that connect to the network and to protect the network itself.

Does Your Windows 10 Need Endpoint Security?

Windows security tools will never be enough. Because today's security attack vectors are too many to manipulate. This means that we no longer live in a world where email attachments or web downloads are the only sources of malware infection.

Simply put, your Windows operating system needs additional layers of protection in the form of antivirus for windows or, perhaps, much more, depending on your needs.

With that in mind, let's take a look at how you can protect your Windows operating system from various security threats:

1 - Keep your Windows operating system up to date: Today is Windows 10. Tomorrow there will be another new version. Whatever it is, make sure your PC is updated to the latest version. This is probably the best thing you can do besides providing antivirus for Windows. Because the latest update is usually the one that protects users against all known security vulnerabilities.

2 - Make sure that other applications are up to date: What's inside your Windows operating system is also important. We mean other major programs and applications. Make sure that they are all up to date and contain the latest security fixes. Because it is a well-known fact that hackers try to exploit popular software like Java, Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, etc.

3 - Use the proactive security solution: Unfortunately, the traditional antivirus alone will not be enough. Especially when it comes to combating modern malware, which employs sophisticated methods. Therefore, to face the ever-changing landscape of digital security threats, users need proactive security solutions, such as Internet security (for home users) and Endpoint protection (for companies).

4 - Use local account instead of Microsoft account: If you are using Windows 10, it is better to avoid the Microsoft account and choose a local account, because using the Microsoft account means saving some of your personal data in the cloud, which is not such a wise thing to do. To choose a local account, go to Settings> Accounts> Your information and select Sign in with a local account.

5 - Maintain user account control always activated: UAC (User Account Control) is a Windows security responsible for preventing unauthorized changes (initiated by applications, users, viruses, or other forms of malware) in the operating system. This ensures that changes are applied to the operating system only with the approval of the administrator. So always keep it on.

6 - Make regular backups: Be prepared with the “worst” in mind when it comes to dealing with security threats. Therefore, make regular backups of your system (both online and offline) so that all of your data is not lost, should your PCs be affected by security threats, or encounter an irreparable hardware problem.

7 - Keep your browser updated: Browsers are what we use to access the Internet. Therefore, security vulnerabilities in them mean an entry path for security threats. So, as with the operating system and other applications, keep your web browser up to date as well. Other security measures you can take: 1) opt for private browsing mode to prevent sensitive details from being stored 2) prevent or block pop-ups 3) configure browser security settings to improve security, etc.

8 - Disable location tracking: If you're using Windows 10 or any other version that contains location tracking, it's best to disable it or use it only when absolutely necessary. For example, if you want to know about the local weather or the various shops nearby, etc. To disable Location Tracking, go to Privacy> Location> click the Change button and move the slider from Enabled to Disabled.

9 - Use the Internet wisely: All of the security measures listed here would be rendered useless if you are not cautious while online. Therefore, be sure not to click on dangerous-looking links, download malicious email attachments or other downloads from the Web, avoid visiting suspicious-looking websites, and any other actions that current security practices deem unwise.

The Windows operating system is probably the best, which is why it is very popular and has a lot to follow - despite security threats. And there is nothing wrong with joining your favorite operating system. Just be sure to reinforce it with the right security products, such as Protegent360 Endpoint Security Software, and follow security best practices.

Phishing: Types, Scams, Attacks, and Ways to Prevent Them

Scams are an integral part of our digital world. Cybercriminals use hundreds of attack strategies, and phishing - or phishing in French - is one of the classic representations of this. Although the strategy is not new, Internet crooks continue to employ it with new variations.

The main source of phishing is spam. Skillfully crafted to manipulate their recipients, these emails are designed to bypass your email spam filters in order to appear in your inbox.

Above all, the “phisher” seeks access to confidential and critical personal information and corporate data. Bank details and passwords for access to the corporate network are therefore particularly coveted by scammers.

The many faces of phishing

Digital Bandits Use Different Types of Phishing Techniques.

1. Whale Phishing - the CEO Scam

Whale Phishing, or “whale” for “whale”, is a targeted phishing strategy that aims to hook the “big fish” of an organization. In line of sight: senior executives, directors, and other strategic collaborators. Also, before sending their emails, crooks study their subject from all angles. They personalize their messages by sprinkling them with key information about the organization. From an email address similar to the one used by the tax authorities or other government agency, the sender requests sensitive information or a money transfer. Overall, the email looks very professional, but because it targets smart, high-level people, it has a pretty low success rate.

2. Deceptive Phishing - Objective: to Deceive the User

Used for decades, this phishing strategy is classic. The spammer uses email addresses that are similar to real websites and large businesses - with one variation, which often goes unnoticed by the average internet user. The email asks you to click on a link that points to a bogus webpage or installs malware on your device. The goal? Hack your data and access your personal, secret, or confidential information.

3. Pharming - Insidious Operation of the Deflection

Pharming is another phishing strategy characterized by sending fraudulent emails from genuine sources (banks and social networking sites, for example). These emails urge you to take urgent action on one of your accounts, such as changing your password or taking security measures. The manipulation involves redirecting you to a dummy web page. If the web address used is identical to the source and seems in every way identical to the original site, it is because, with pharming, the crooks also intervene at the level of the  DNS cache. Once your login details are entered on the fake site, the crooks just have to hack your accounts.

4. Spear Phishing - Targeted Phishing

Spear Phishing is a targeted phishing strategy that targets a specific category of people. Emails sent directly to recipients impersonate an authentic source. It could for example be an educational institution or a bank. The use of logos and original signatures aims to reassure the recipient about the authenticity of the message. In the case of spear phishing, hackers have the same will as with other phishing strategies: to steal login information. And for that, they do not hesitate to manipulate the students of educational establishments and the customers of banking or merchant sites.

5. Phishing Attack via Google Docs

A large part of Internet users is dependent on Google applications, from the Play Store to Gmail. A single Gmail account makes it possible to use several Google services. Most of those who choose Google Docs use it to store documents and photos for convenience and security. This makes it easy to understand why Google passwords are a prime target for cyber crooks. These send emails to Gmail users to redirect them to their Google login page. However, once the password is entered, the scammer can access their account and all the stored files.

How to Protect Yourself From Phishing

Phishing is a widely used scam strategy, but not very powerful. We can therefore easily protect ourselves from it.

1. Double Check the Content of Your Messages

The content of most fraudulent emails has a number of flaws. Although the majority of phishing messages are addressed directly to you and use personal information to better trap you, this information is not complete. It is enough to observe carefully the subject of these e-mails to easily judge their authenticity.

Classic trap used by scammers: create a message that plays on the sense of urgency. Above all, stay calm and think before you act; you can only fall for it if you act in a rush.

2. Secure Your Identity

By opting for a VPN or virtual private network, you have an encrypted tunnel for all your online activities. This tunnel masks your identity and your original location; it allows you to connect through secure remote servers. By protecting you from prying eyes, your VPN eliminates any possibility of spying. This way, cybercriminals cannot access your information or your identity.

A strong VPN also protects your connection from malicious attacks; it protects and secures your existence online. Le VPN is a secure barrier that prevents phishing emails from reaching your device.

3. Check All Links

To avoid phishing traps, we recommend that you check email addresses and website links before clicking. Fraudulent addresses sometimes appear to be identical to the original addresses. But beware, they are not the same. For example, the Cyrillic alphabet can be used, and other alphabets feature Latin-like glyphs in current typefaces: the Greek, Armenian, Hebrew, and Chinese alphabets. With a sufficient number of combinations, a fake domain can be created and secured. It is then almost impossible to distinguish the true from the false. On the other hand, on sites where you must enter your passwords and other confidential information, favor secure HTTP (HTTPS) sites. Also, use endpoint security software for multi-layered protection.

Protect Google Drive Files From the Crypto-locker Virus | Antivirus Software

Ransomware affects cloud applications just as much as it affects local ones. This means that even if you got your cloud storage protected, it’s still not entirely safe. How come it is not safe? What will you do when you become a victim of ransomware? How do you protect your drive from it?

CryptoLocker viruses can easily compromise your files from simple actions, such as clicking on a link or downloading an email attachment. It spreads across all your data and starts to encrypt targeted files, leaving you with no choice but to “ransom” it. If you’ve automatically synced files to your Google Drive, then the uploaded data is now infected with ransomware.

When this happens, restoring your files may not always be easy, as the only way is going back to the revision history in your drive and work on it one by one. There’s no point in time restoration and you need to manually go through all the file revisions. 

To ensure that this does not happen to you, here are a few simple steps:

1. Secure a local antivirus software and do not rely on default computer antivirus.
2. Have a cloud disaster-recovery software that allows restoring files to a point in time.

Is Google Vault supposed to save a copy of your files that you can restore? Yes, it still allows you to save a copy of your emails and files for archiving purposes, but it is not designed as a disaster-recovery application.

How can we help you? The top two steps are available for free when you sign up with any of our Cloud Concierge support services. We manage your daily IT tasks, like maintaining your G Suite accounts, setting up users, domain name registration, antivirus, and disaster recovery, so your business is not at risk with ransomware attacks.

From time to time, it has been seen that people who run into a bit of a pickle and they've got a CryptoLocker or Ransomware it's called, infected inside their Google Drive. It probably started on one of your computers and encrypted all of the files on your computer and you know what a CryptoLocker virus is, these are the kinds of things that encrypt all your files and then you get stuck. You have to pay somebody a Bitcoin to decrypt them, it doesn't always work, it's not always guaranteed. And in the meantime, you're basically left to ransom without access to any of your business files.

This is obviously a bad situation and if you're in that situation right now, fear not there is help and there are ways that we can get things resolved, but it's not always pretty. So, if you're in this situation right now, you've got your business lockdown. What's probably first happened is you've opened an email, you've clicked on a website or someone sent you a file, which has then infected your machine. So if you're on a Mac or a Windows machine, step number one is to actually isolate that and completely clean things up. So if you've still got your Google Drive connected to that computer, sign out right now, that will stop any more synchronization from happening if this fire still exists on your computer. You definitely want to work with an IT professional to actually clear that out. And most professionals recommend a clean slate wipe of the machine so there is absolutely no way that it can get back on there.

The next question is how do you go about restoring Google Drive? What do we do there? Unfortunately, the only way to get those files back is to work with the version history of Google Drive and one by one restore each one of those files. It's not a pretty process and you have to do it individually because there's just no other way to bring those back. Google doesn’t have a point in time restore in Google Drive, and so that means that each individual file you need to open the file, go to version history and restore it to another version. You may have tens, thousands, even hundreds of thousands of files that need to be restored, and this can be a pretty crazy time-consuming process. If that's not something that you'd like to do yourself, then we have a service where we can actually help make that happen for you.

Now I want to talk a little bit about prevention and what you should be doing to make sure that this doesn't happen to you. If I've just scared the crap out of you around how you may have your business brought to a standstill by being infected with Ransomware or CryptoLocker, you really need to pay attention to make sure that you take these critical steps so that you won't be affected by this happening. Step number one is to make sure that your computers are secure with local antivirus. Yes, computers are self-updating and they do most of the maintenance themselves these days and there is a basic antivirus built into Windows these days, but it's not always effective in stopping different variants of Ransomware or CryptoLocker. There are solutions that we recommend, and I'll cover some of those off later in this video, but you need to make sure that you have that antivirus installed on your machine so your local computer is protected. That is your first line of defense.

The second thing you need to do is you need to make sure you have cloud disaster recovery software and that backup disaster recovery software is going to allow you to restore your Google Drive to a point in time if anything ever goes wrong with that. Those two steps are the best way of defending yourself against Ransomware or CryptoLocker holding your files hostage. Now you might ask, Peter, well, what about Google Vault? Isn't Google Vault supposed to save all of my files and save a copy of them so if anything ever goes wrong in the business, then we've still got a copy inside of the vault? Well, Google Vault is still definitely useful for business owners because it allows you to have a copy of any email or any file that's going in or out of the business and keep that in a safe location inside the vault.

However, Google Vault will only allow you to still restore files one by one. It's not really designed to be a backup and recovery solution, it's more an eDiscovery solution, that's the technical term for it, and what that means is it's more for archiving and not necessarily for backup restoration and disaster recovery.

So, a quick recap of the two things that you need to do. Number one is to have cloud antivirus on your machine and that cloud antivirus should be specifically tailored to Ransomware or to stopping CryptoLocker viruses. Secondly, you should have a cloud disaster recovery software that will allow you to restore your Google Drive to a point in time. Now both of these are available for free when you sign up for one of our Cloud Concierge plans. Cloud Concierge is a small business G Suite support service which allows you to not only have us take care of day-to-day low-value tasks, like maintaining your G Suite account, setting up new users, archiving users when they leave your business, but we also manage everything that you need to take care of small business IT. That means any virus, that means domain name registration, that means the basics like having backup and disaster recovery so you are not at risk if something like this happens for your business.

The next step in securing your account from the risk of a CryptoLocker or Ransomware attack is to make sure that you actually have the correct security enabled in the different areas of your G Suite account. That means things like switching on two-factor authentication, locking down the admin panel, and being careful about which emails are allowed to be sent to your domain. Making sure your DNS settings are correct, like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can also be additional layers of protection to make sure the emails being received by your business are legitimate and that your email isn't being used for spamming or for spreading any of these viruses as well.

Google has great spam filtering tools built-in, but some things can still make their way through, so it's always a better idea to use the Google web interface than actually using outlook on your local machine because that's another way that viruses can find their way into your local computers. If you're using Chrome OS, so a Chromebook or a Chromebox, well, they aren't susceptible to ransomware or any of these kinds of viruses at all, so that will completely eliminate the risk of you being attacked by ransomware or anything else that may lockdown and hold your files ransom.

Our support membership also includes an audit of all of your IT systems so we can make sure that you are not at risk of having your files disappeared or having to go through a hundred thousand files and restore them one by one. If right now you're in the position where your files have already been locked down well, our team can help with steps to make sure that it doesn't happen again and guide you through the process of restoring those files in the best possible way to make sure that they don't become re-encrypted, because that is something that is at risk if right now you're stuck.

Protect Yourself From Digital Hijacking by Ransomware

Ransomware is increasingly gaining prominence among cyber threats because it infiltrates and blocks (encrypts) victims' access to personal files - including documents, videos, and photos. This attack occurs in the background so that the Internet user does not realize what is happening until it is too late. What makes this attack a problem is that the encrypted files are stored on the user's computer, but are inaccessible.

When the attack takes place, the malware informs the user that files have been encrypted and, if they want to recover them, it is necessary to pay an exorbitant amount, usually with bitcoins (virtual currency). Most users who suffer the attack do not have knowledge and experience in technology. Therefore, this problem becomes greater, as they will have to find out what bitcoins are and how to obtain them if they choose to pay the ransom. 

In today's INFO Mail, learn step by step how to protect your data and prevent ransomware attacks with procedures that are recommended by Protegent360.

1 Always make regular backups of your files. It is highly recommended to create two backup copies, one in the cloud (in Dropbox or Google Drive services) and the other recorded on a physical media (external HD or on a USB stick). It is important to give the “plan B” device viewing or reading permissions so that no one will have the possibility to modify or delete the files.

2 Periodically check that the backup is working. There are times when a failure in an accidental way can damage files.

3 Cybercriminals distribute fake emails posing as online stores or banks to entice the user to click on a malicious link that distributes the malware. This method is known as phishing. To avoid it, there is a need to improve your spam settings and never open an attachment sent by an unknown email.

4 Do not trust anyone. Malicious links can be sent through social networks by friends, co-workers, or some gaming partners who have already been infected in one way or another by cybercriminals.

5 Enable options like “Show file extension” in the Windows platform settings. This will make it much easier to distinguish potentially malicious files. As Trojans are programs, the user should keep an eye on files with extensions like .EXE, .vbs, and.SCR.

6 You also need to be aware, as many types of files that look common and familiar can be threats. Cybercriminals can make use of several extensions to mask malware in the photo, video, or document files.

7 Regularly update your operating system, browser, and also other programs that are used in an essential way by each of the users. Criminals tend to exploit vulnerabilities in order to compromise systems and updates will correct existing gaps and flaws, increasing security.

8 If you notice a clandestine or unknown process on the machine, interrupt the internet connection. Hopefully, the ransomware didn't have time to erase the encryption key on the computer, which gives it a chance to restore files. However, it is worth mentioning that the newest versions of ransomware have managed to infect several machines even offline.

9 If the files are encrypted, do not pay the ransom unless instant access to some of your files is critical. Every payment only fuels this illegal business that will thrive the moment people are caught in this scam.

10 If the device is infected, the user should try to find out the name of the malware: it may be an old version and relatively simple to restore the files. Ransomware was less advanced years ago. Always use one advanced security software such as endpoint security software.

Antivirus Works. Types, Functions and Their Limitations

The protection of a good antivirus application is essential to maintain the security of any computer system. That is why it is worth knowing how an antivirus works, what its functions are, and also its limitations.

Antivirus software tries to cover the main forms of attack on your device, be it a computer or a smartphone, and not having any kind of protection, knowing how an antivirus works, is foolish since there are many threats that you can find browsing the Internet or copying files to your device.

Currently, it is possible to find good free antivirus.

Antivirus must be updated frequently to ensure protection against the latest threats. Almost all antivirus can be configured to update automatically, it is advisable that this option is enabled

How an Antivirus Works

All antivirus act in the background, inspecting every file or page that is opened on the device where they are installed.

Antivirus Software uses three methods to protect the system:

1. Analyze our files by comparing them to a database of malicious software or programs
2. Monitor computer files as they are opened or created to ensure that they are not infected. This is real-time protection against viruses, which can affect system performance.
3. Periodically inspect the entire system to verify if there are corrupt files and eliminate existing viruses, in case they could have entered your computer.

The antivirus compares each file on the hard disk with a dictionary of known viruses. If any piece of code in a file on the hard drive matches the virus known to the dictionary, the antivirus software kicks in, taking one of the possible actions.

Types of Antivirus

Basically, antivirus is divided into several categories, depending on the function for which they were designed: prevention, identification, or elimination of viruses.

1. Preventive Antivirus, which fulfills the function of anticipating infection by intercepting and analyzing all data input and output operations. This type of antivirus, to perform its task, must be installed on the disk and reside in the computer's memory, so they tend to consume a considerable amount of resources that in the end slow down the computer.
2. Identifying Antivirus, whose main function is to identify threats that may already be active in the system. To achieve its mission, this type of antivirus analyzes all files on the computer in search of byte strings related to malware.
3. Decontaminating Antivirus, whose purpose is to eliminate an infection when it has already occurred and attacked the computer. Many of these antiviruses will also try to revert to the state before the infection occurred.
4. Heuristic Antivirus, which acts as a simulator, that is, they pretend the launch or the usefulness of various programs to observe their behavior and identify possible suspicious situations.

In general, modern security solutions combine these three types of antivirus, also integrating other functionalities.

Antivirus Functions

• Repair the file. The antivirus tries to repair the infected file by removing the virus.
• Put it in quarantine. The antivirus will try to provide protection against the virus, making programs inaccessible to this file, preventing its propagation and execution.
• Delete the file. The antivirus removes the file. If it cannot be removed from the file, it will always ask us first if we want to do this.
• Analyze the behavior of system files. In this case, the antivirus will monitor all the programs that are running on a system. For example, if a program tries to perform a suspicious activity, such as writing data to an executable program, the antivirus alerts the user of this fact and informs him of the measures to take.

One of the advantages of scanning files for suspicious behavior is that it offers protection against new viruses for which no information is yet available and is not part of the list of known viruses.

When a new virus is created, antivirus software companies analyze its characteristics, how to eliminate the virus (if possible), and update the database with this information to ensure that the antivirus can detect new threats.

On the other hand, it is very common for these types of programs to incorporate other types of features that allow them to expand the security they offer, such as:

• Firewall. It acts as a barrier between the computer and the Internet. It is used to control who accesses the information stored on the equipment and what information comes out of it.
• Analyze web addresses (URL's).  It allows you to check if a web address links to a page that contains viruses or if, on the contrary, it is safe.
• Email protection. Scans incoming and outgoing emails to verify they do not contain viruses. They usually include an antispam filter to prevent "junk mail" from entering the inbox and an anti-phishing filter to detect attempts to impersonate trusted pages, banks, public administrations, prestigious companies, etc.
• Antispyware. Capable of detecting and eliminating spyware, that is, those that are installed in the computer or device in a hidden way in order to know the user's browsing habits, passwords, and other data, which could later be transmitted to an unauthorized entity.
• Anti-pop-ups. Its main objective is to prevent the opening of annoying pop-up windows that may appear while browsing the Internet. Various spyware can be hidden in some of these windows.
• Backups. Make backup copies of the most important documents stored on your computer.

Limitations of Antivirus

Antivirus programs, despite being constantly updated and offering more and more features, also have certain limitations when it comes to keeping your computer system safe.

Therefore, when selecting an antivirus you must bear in mind some of the tasks that basic antivirus does not perform:

• They do not prevent Spam, which must be examined with specific Anti-Spam software.
• They do not prevent direct attacks from a hacker on the system.
• They do not prevent criminal activities online. The antivirus is not capable of preventing these actions.

Despite its limitations, you should never stop the antivirus operation because it will leave your system more exposed to external attacks.

In the same way, if you do not update your antivirus with the latest virus definitions available on the Internet, the software will become practically useless, since it will not be able to detect or eliminate the most recent viruses.

Having an antivirus installed on your computer almost always means that your computer slows down a bit, that is, it works slower than it should. This is mainly due to the fact that antivirus programs use a lot of system resources.

A general rule of thumb in this regard is that the more functions the antivirus provide, the more resources such as RAM and CPU cycles it will use. Our recommendation will be total security as the best functional antivirus with less cost