Out of all of the different kinds of malware attacks, Trojan horses account for almost 75% of all computer infections. Worms are the second most common type of malware at roughly 12%, followed by viruses and adware. The scariest types of malware are the kind that takes a direct route into the computers’ most hard-to-reach recesses, and actively shut down the most crucial avenues for restorative action. Here are a few to learn to recognize and avoid.
CryptoLocker
In the year 2013, a virus with the ability to permanently corrupt users’ files with very little hope of correcting the damage was discovered. Because there was often very little in the way of solutions to the virus without directly appealing to the hacker to remove it, it’s considered a form of ransomware. With the victim’s data essentially being held hostage by the virus, those who distribute it have a lot of leverage to ask for exorbitant amounts of money for their damage to be undone with a private key. It’s not uncommon for a CryptoLocker hacker to ask for upwards to a $500 cash transfer just to get their virus lifted, and unless a certain exploit or loophole can be used to undo the infection, users will generally have to either pay up or give up.
CIH
In the year 1998, the virus CIH made such an unprecedented impact, that it got waves of mainstream news coverage. The media was awed and horrified at how the virus would be able to cloak itself under the cover of seemingly harmless files, and then without any warning whatsoever, suddenly distribute a mass wave of executable files that could do levels of damage that had never before been observed. CIH was codenamed “Chernobyl”, and because it was able to hide in the empty spaces of clean files, tracking Chernobyl down in the system to even attempt correcting it was one of the most challenging aspects of the entire process.
Mebromi
In the year 2011, 13 years after the advent of Chernobyl’s rampage, there was a successor that took inspiration from how the 1998 virus had managed to do so much damage. Mebromi functions by essentially flash bombing the user’s BIOS and seizing the opportunity to inject its malicious code before any countermeasures can be made against it. Due to Mebromi’s habit of slipping its code directly into the BIOS, the damage it does is out of the bounds of the hard disk itself and facilitates an incredibly thorough infection.
Avoiding Malware
The most dangerous kind of Malware is the kind that attacks your system like a stealth bomber, and by the time you realize you’ve been successfully attacked, it’s usually already too late to try remedying the problem. The best defense against Malware and ransomware is to be as preemptive as possible. Not only should you have a reliable Anti-Virus/Malware software program installed before the first sign of trouble, but you should also make sure that it’s been updated to the current year. An Ottawa IT services can help keep your system maintained and up to date. In addition to frequent updates, make sure that you also run regular updates for both the virus software and your operating system.