Most common types of malware

Any company or business that has computer equipment, whether they are directly involved in IT or not, needs to be able to be aware of the types of malware most common.

This is not just out of mere curiosity, but is a way to avoid having any of these malicious programs infects your computers and you have a very serious problem for something that could have been prevented without too much effort.

Computer malware evolve and grow over time, and therefore it is necessary to keep abreast of developments in this world, so as not to become obsolete and fall into the networks of new computer attacks. So that this does not happen to you, we have prepared for you this list of the most common types of malware that you are going to find, so that you can learn how to avoid them.

First of all, what is malware?

Before moving on to the list of the most common malware, it is worth explaining to the more novice what exactly is malware. The word comes from the union of two other terms: “malicious”, “malignant” or its derivatives, i.e. harmful, and “software”, i.e. a computer program.

In a nutshell, a malware is a computer program that is designed to do something bad (steal accounts, delete files, mess up computers, and so on and so forth) on computers that get infected.

Needless to say, they are not easy to remove, because their creators have thought of everything to be able to circumvent antivirus, install themselves in all important folders on the computer, go unnoticed with invisible or camouflaged folders, and much more.

You’re probably wondering why anyone would want to do something like this. The truth is that it is difficult to delve into the minds of hackers who are dedicated to the creation of such programs. But sometimes the motivation is clear: to steal money or private information, to blackmail the victim, to harm the competition or, in some cases, the simple fun of hurting others.

We advise you, to avoid all these problems, to always have a good professional at hand to offer you the best quality computer maintenance service.

The most common types of malware you will encounter

Surfing the Internet and downloading files from the cloud is synonymous with exposing yourself to catching a virus. It is only a matter of time. For this reason, we always advise you to have a good, up-to-date antivirus installed that is capable of detecting the more the better.

1. Worm virus

The name sounds disgusting, but it is simply malicious software that is able to “move”, imitating the movements of a real worm, through your computer.

This is not magic, but it does this by installing itself little by little in new folders, making your computer slower and slower, and when you realize it is already too late. It is one of the first computer viruses that was created, but it is still one of the most dangerous.

2. Spyware

There are different types of malware aimed at stealing information or spying on people. Some are capable of controlling webcams remotely or taking screenshots.

At the enterprise level, the most dangerous are keyloggers, i.e. those that record keystrokes and send them to the hacker in text form. This allows them to steal bank account passwords and extract money, in addition to stealing professional secrets or accessing private email accounts.

3. Trojan Virus

The most famous computer virus of all is named after Ancient Greece. Like Ulysses putting the wooden horse into Troy, loaded with his enemies but unnoticed, this computer virus is characterized by masquerading as another type of file.

When it is then executed on your computer, chaos ensues. The consequences can be endless, from the installation (unnoticed) of spyware to the deletion of important files from your computer. Of the most common types of malware, this one takes the cake.

4. Adware

Although ultimately the most harmless, it is also one of the most dreaded because it is so annoying.

Advertising malware or “adware” exploits your computer with a myriad of ads and banners of all types and sizes, so that even if you close some of them, others continue to appear.

They are usually easy to remove, but for some you will need to run an antivirus and let it clean your computer for hours. We advise you to run away from them as much as possible.

5. Other types of malware

In addition to those mentioned above, there are many different types of malicious software. The best way to get rid of them beforehand, in addition to installing a good antivirus, is to make a backup of all your computers from time to time.

In this way, with an external backup copy, it does not matter what type of malware you are facing, because you will only need a quick clean or reset of your computer and you will be able to use it again as before without any problem.