Malware

EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS IT AND HOW

DOES IT WORK

Mateusz Łopuszyński
What is malware?

 Word „malware” is a blend of malicious and software

 It’s any software intentionally designed to cause damage to

a computer, server, client, or computer network

 Programs are also considered malware if they secretly act against

the interests of the computer user. For example in 2005 a
scandal erupted regarding Sony music Compact discs silently
installing a rootkit on purchasers' computers with the intention of
preventing illicit copying, but which also reported on users'
listening habits and unintentionally created extra security
vulnerabilities
Computer virus:

 A type of computer program

 It replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and

inserting it’s own code in them

 Vast majority of them targets systems running Microsoft Windows

 They often perform some type of harmful activity on infected

computers, such as: acquisition of hard disk space or CPU time,
accessing and stealing private information, corrupting data
Ransomware:

 A type of malware that threatens to publish victim’s data or

perpetually block data unless ransom is paid

 While simple ransomware might be easy to deal with, more

advanced ones use techniques that that encrypt victim’s files
making them unaccesible

 It’s typically carried out using a Trojan that is disguised as a

legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or
opening when it arrives as an email attachment.
Spyware:

 A software that aims to gather information about a person or

organization without their consent and most often knowledge

 Spyware is mostly used for stealing information and storing

Internet users' movements on the Web and serving up pop-up
ads to Internet users.

 Some spyware, such as keyloggers, may be installed by the

owner of a shared, corporate, or public computer intentionally in
order to monitor users.
Trojan:

 Any malware which misleads users of its true intent. Named after

the Trojan Horse.

 They generally spread by some form of social engineering, for

example where a user is duped into executing
an email attachment disguised to appear not suspicious or by
clicking on some fake advertisement

 Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans generally do not attempt to

inject themselves into other files or otherwise propagate
themselves.
Worm:

 A standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in

order to spread to other computers. Often uses network to
spread itself, relying on security failures on target computer

 Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network,

even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost
always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

 Many of them are designed only to spread, but can still cause
major disruption in network traffic