MALWARE: COMPUTING'S DIRTY DOZEN BY JOEL WALSH
Joel Walsh lists for us the 11 most dangerous types of malware, plus adware.
It seems that no sooner do you feel safe turning on your
computer than you hear on the news about a new kind of internet
security threat. Usually, the security threat is some kind of
malware (though the term "security threat" no doubt sells more
newspapers).
What is malware? Malware is exactly what its name implies: mal
(meaning bad, in the sense of malignant or malicious rather
than just poorly done) + ware (short for software). More
specifically, malware is software that does not benefit the
computer's owner, and may even harm it, and so is purely
parasitic.
The Many Faces of Malware
According to Wikipedia, there are in fact eleven distinct types
of malware, and even more sub-types of each.
1. Viruses. The malware that's on the news so much, even your
grandmother knows what it is. You probably already have heard
plenty about why this kind of software is bad for you, so
there's no need to belabor the point.
2. Worms. Slight variation on viruses. The difference between
viruses and worms is that viruses hide inside the files of real
computer programs (for instance, the macros in Word or the
VBScript in many other Microsoft applications), while worms do
not infect a file or program, but rather stand on their own.
3. Wabbits. Be honest: had you ever even heard of wabbits before
(outside of Warner Bros. cartoons)? According to Wikipedia,
wabbits are in fact rare, and it's not hard to see why: they
don't do anything to spread to other machines. A wabbit, like a
virus, replicates itself, but it does not have any instructions
to email itself or pass itself through a computer network in
order to infect other machines. The least ambitious of all
malware, it is content simply to focus on utterly devastating a
single machine.
4. Trojans. Arguably the most dangerous kind of malware, at
least from a social standpoint. While Trojans rarely destroy
computers or even files, that's only because they have bigger
targets: your financial information, your computer's system
resources, and sometimes even massive denial-of-service attacks
launched by having thousands of computers all try to connect to
a web server at the same time.
5. Spyware. In another instance of creative software naming,
spyware is software that spies on you, often tracking your
internet activities in order to serve you advertising. (Yes,
it's possible to be both adware and spyware at the same time.)
6. Backdoors. Backdoors are much the same as Trojans or worms,
except that they do something different: they open a "backdoor"
onto a computer, providing a network connection for hackers or
other malware to enter or for viruses or spam to be sent out
through.
7. Exploits. Exploits attack specific security vulnerabilities.
You know how Microsoft is always announcing new updates for its
operating system? Often enough the updates are really trying to
close the security hole targeted in a newly discovered exploit.
8. Rootkit. The malware most likely to have a human touch,
rootkits are installed by crackers (bad hackers) on other
people's computers. The rootkit is designed to camouflage
itself in a system's core processes so as to go undetected. It
is the hardest of all malware to detect and therefore to
remove; many experts recommend completely wiping your hard
drive and reinstalling everything fresh.
9. Keyloggers. No prize for guessing what this software does:
yes, it logs your keystrokes, i.e., what you type. Typically,
the malware kind of keyloggers (as opposed to keyloggers
deliberately installed by their owners to use in diagnosing
computer problems) are out to log sensitive information such as
passwords and financial details.
10. Dialers. Dialers dial telephone numbers via your computer's
modem. Like keyloggers, they're only malware if you don't want
them. Dialers either dial expensive premium-rate telephone
numbers, often located in small countries far from the host
computer; or, they dial a hacker's machine to transmit stolen
data.
11. URL injectors. This software "injects" a given URL in place
of certain URLs when you try to visit them in your browser.
Usually, the injected URL is an affiliate link to the target
URL. An affiliate link is a special link used to track the
traffic an affiliate (advertiser) has sent to the original
website, so that the original website can pay commissions on
any sales from that traffic.
12. Adware. The least dangerous and most lucrative malware
(lucrative for its distributors, that is). Adware displays ads
on your computer. The Wikipedia entry on malware does not give
adware its own category even though adware is commonly called
malware. As Wikipedia notes, adware is often a subset of
spyware. The implication is that if the user chooses to allow
adware on his or her machine, it's not really malware, which is
the defense that most adware companies take. In reality,
however, the choice to install adware is usually a legal farce
involving placing a mention of the adware somewhere in the
installation materials, and often only in the licensing
agreement, which hardly anyone reads.
Are you ready to take on this dirty dozen? Don't go it alone.
Make sure you have at least one each of antivirus and
antispyware.
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Joel Walsh writes for spyware-refuge.com about malware removal:
Malware Remover
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SPYWARE DEFINITION LIST BY GREGG GRESHAM
The list of adware and spyware definitions runs very long. But these definitions listed below are some of the most common ones. This is a glossary of spyware facts and terms so you'll know what these malicious programs can do to your computer.
Adware
Adware components install along with a shareware or freeware download. The adware developer creates revenue advertisements usually through pop up windows. Most adware components are actually installed with consent from the user. The reason this happens is because most people never bother to read the end-user license agreement that comes with software.
Spyware
Spyware is often installed bundled with freeware or shareware, much like adware. Spyware gathers and transmits sensitive and personal information about the user's behavior to an unknown party. The data is collected without the user even knowing it happened. By the time you discover it, the damage has been done and the hacker is long gone.
Browser Hijackers
Browser hijackers are innocently installed as helpful browser toolbars. They can alter your browser settings and can change your default home page to point to another site.
Trojan Horse Programs
Trojan horse programs sneak into your system and run without you realizing it like spyware. Programmers use these programs for any number of malicious uses and none of them you would approve of. But one good thing is Trojan horse programs do not make copies of themselves.
Tracking cookies
Tracking cookies are files with small amounts of data like passwords and settings. Tracking cookies can provide a benefit to you especially if you revisit web sites. But in the wrong hands, cookies are used to track your Internet behavior. This is done without your knowledge or consent and provides marketers with private information about you.
Keyloggers
Keyloggers are programs that run silently in the background, recording all your keystrokes. Once the keystrokes are logged, they can be retrieved later by the hacker using a remote keyloggers program. The hacker can get your passwords, credit card numbers and any other personal information on your computer.
Malware
The definition of malware is any malicious software or program that will harm your computer. Computer viruses, worms and Trojans are all considered malware, but several other types of programs may also be included under the term.
Password Cracker
A password cracker is simply a program used to decrypt a password or password file. Security administrators use password crackers for legitimate use by using them to improve system security. But you can only imagine the dangers when a hacker gets a program like this.
There are many other spyware definitions including scumware, annoyanceware, parasites and the list continues to grow daily.
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