Malware

Why malware is SCARY

The proliferation of malware is so abundant that the task of preventing infection becomes overwhelming and difficult to manage. Malware, which is any code written with the intent of causing harm, includes a number of malicious programs: virus, worm, Trojan horse, logic bomb, backdoor, Remote Access Trojan (RAT), rootkit, ransomware and spyware/adware.

Once a hacker gains access to a computer or network, they can add malware in the form of a keyboard-logging program to steal what a user types, such as passwords, or Trojan programs that add the victim into a botnet, or it can lead to cybercrime with the latest generation of ransomware that locks down a victim’s hard drive and extorts payment to restore the encrypted data.

Why malware is NOT SCARY

The best way to prevent malware infection is by being hypervigilant when downloading applications or simply browsing the internet. Stick with trusted sources and know what you’re clicking on.

Organizations also require data loss prevention engineers with the proper skills to defend their networks from malware. These engineers deploy and manage security applications such as malware detection on endpoints and servers. Many modern anti-virus systems on PCs use an advanced client connected to services on the back-end to push out signature updates and the like. These engineers make sure the system stays up to date and troubleshoot negative interactions with new applications (that sometimes interfere with virus checkers).

Gain the skills to protect against malware