Malware

Malware is categorized by how it behaves and how it spreads:

• Ransomware: Encrypts your files and demands a "ransom" (usually in Bitcoin) to unlock them.
• Viruses: Programs that "infect" legitimate files and spread when a user opens those files.
• Worms: Unlike viruses, these can spread automatically across networks without human help.
• Trojans: Disguise themselves as harmless software (like a free game) to trick you into installing them.
• Spyware: Secretly monitors your activity, recording keystrokes or taking screenshots to steal passwords.
• Adware: Floods your screen with invasive, unwanted advertisements and can track your browsing.
• Rootkits: Deep-level malware that hides itself from the operating system to give an attacker full control.

Most malware requires a "delivery vehicle" to get onto your system:

• Phishing: You click a link or open an attachment in a fake email.
• Drive-by Downloads: You visit a compromised website that automatically installs malware through a browser vulnerability.
• Malvertising: Malicious code hidden inside legitimate-looking online ads.
• Infected Hardware: Plugging in a "found" USB drive or using an unvetted external hard drive.

• Sudden Slowness: The CPU is working overtime, running hidden malicious processes.
• Constant Crashes: Malware often interferes with essential system files, causing the "Blue Screen of Death."
• Disappearing Storage: Some malware hides itself by filling up your hard drive with encrypted data.
• Unwanted Toolbars: New browser extensions or a changed homepage you didn't authorize.

• Keep Software Updated: Most malware exploits "holes" in old software that have already been patched in newer versions.
• Use an EDR or Antivirus: Modern tools can detect malware behavior even if they haven't seen that specific version before.
• Practice "Zero Trust": Don't click links in emails you weren't expecting, even if they look like they are from a friend.