What is Computer virus? These days people seem to use words like malware and spyware a lot more than virus. In today’s technology era, we all use computers, laptops and mobiles and words like virus, malware keep happening every day.
But do you know what is virus and malware? History of virus and malware and how it works and what is the difference between both? If not then today in this article I will discuss about them.
If anybody ask you what is a Virus, then you can say that, virus is a kind of program or a kind of software that steals, destroys or destroys the data of any computer, laptop or mobile or hacks it.
But if you are asked what is Malware? So maybe you can’t tell anything about it. So let’s know what is virus and what is malware.
To understand what a Virus is, we first need to know what is Malware. When we understand about malware then it will be very easy for us to understand that fact about virus. Let us first know about malware, what is Malware?
What does mean by Malware?
Malware is an acronym for software. It is software that is specifically designed to steal or damage data from any computer. Malware enables the unauthorized access to networks and it is mainly used to extort money, fishing or cyber attacks.
There are different types of malware before that you should know about history of Malware.
History of Malware:
1. The world’s first virus creeper was discovered on ARPANET, which preceded the Internet in the early 1970s. This virus was created by Bob Thomas and it spread through the TENEX operating system. It could have used any modem to control and infect the computer. And it displayed the message “I am the creeper Catch Me If You Can” on the virus-infected computer.
2. After this the publicly released virus was Elk Cloner in 1982. The name of the programmer who programmed this virus was Rich Skrenta. Who programmed it to spread via floppy disks and target Apple Dos 3.3 computers.
3. For the first time in 1983, the word computer virus was used in public for the first time. Fred Cohen, a student at the University of Southern California, named this word virus. He told in his research paper how to write a program that can infect the working system of any computer.
4. In the history of modern viruses, in 1986, a virus named “brain boot sector” came into the limelight. Two Pakistani programmers Basit Farooq Alvi and his brother Amjad Farooq Alvi developed Malware. This virus also made headlines in newspapers, which led people to believe that there could be a program that could infect any computer.
What is the purpose of creating Malware Virus?
As you know how malware virus works, you must have got a lot of idea what is the purpose of creating a virus. This malware virus is created by people with criminal minds like blackmailers, thugs, crooks and sometimes for the purpose of spying etc. The purpose behind developing malware has been to commit cyber theft, fraud, espionage or any other type of crime.
Types of Malware:
There are many types of malware which are as follows:
- computer worm
- Virus
- Trojan horse
- spyware
- Adware
- Backdoor
- Ransomware
- Fileless Malware
- Rootkits
Computer worm
It is a type of malicious software program that primarily infects other systems while remaining active on the infected system. This type of computer virus takes the help of network to reach from one computer to another such as media storage, usb device and email etc.
Virus
There are programs that infiltrate and expand different computer programs by making copies of themselves. This virus is the most famous and oldest malware. A virus multiplies itself after the program is started and then it interferes with the functions of the computer.
This computer virus can not only destroy the data but also damage the hardware along with spying on the computer user.
Trojan horse
This type of malware initially pretends to be a useful and secure application so that it can access the operating system of the computer. It does all its work by hiding it from the users. Trojan horses perform many harmful functions such as monitoring computer data.
Spyware
This type of malware is used to expose the consumer’s data and send it to the manufacturer or third party, the consumer is not even aware that the activities being performed by him are being recorded. Most of the information obtained by spyware is used for commercial purposes or for analysis.
Adware
Adware is a type of malware that is usually included in free software so that when you start that application, adware can change your browser settings and show you through pop-up ads according to your preferences.
Backdoor
It is one of the most dangerous malware of a type that infiltrates the system by bypassing the normal authentication procedures to access the system. As a result, the hacker gains access to your computer or laptop by remote access, and the computer user does not even know about it.
Hacker can use Backdoor malware to spy on any user, manage his files, install any kind of dangerous software or even take control of the entire PC system.
Ransomware
It is a very advance malware and one of the most dangerous. It is also known as scareware. This type of malware can lock your computer and threaten to delete all your data and in return you will be charged a ransom.
This malware is mostly used for money extortion or phishing.
Fileless Malware
Fileless Malware as its name suggests, it is fileless and it is not installed at first, instead it gets converted into files that are native to the OS. Edited files are easily detected by operating systems and these are legitimate to OS. But because this Malware is Fileless, Antivirus cannot recognize it and can’t detect it.
So it can more dangerous than other traditional malware attacks.
Rootkits
Rootkit is a software that mainly used to root your devices. It will take complete control of your computer and take all the administrative privileges of your computer from you.
It specifically attacks in the form of applications, kernels, hypervisors, and firmware. They spreads through third party attachments, apps or downloads.
What is malware? You got it right!! Then you must have to understand that what is virus, yet once you know in a little more detail what is virus?
What is virus:
Computer Virus is also one type of Malware. This is a program that can corrupt the data of any computer or can steal any type of information saved in it. It is such a vicious program that by making a copy of itself, it can affect from one program to another. This is a deliberate program.
The purpose of creating a computer virus is to take control on your computer systems, and steal sensitive user data so that the hacker can blackmail or force the victim to do the deal that he(hacker) wants.
Hackers design and deceive online users of computer viruses with malicious intent. There are also many types of viruses which are as follows
Boot Sector Virus :
This type of virus infects “Master Boot Record” and detecting this virus is very difficult. If your computer or laptop becomes a victim of this virus once, then this virus cannot be removed without formatting the system.
Direct Action virus :
This type of virus becomes active while executing a file containing any virus. This type of virus hides in the computer’s memory.
Resident virus
It is a difficult task to detect this virus even with antivirus. Because this type of virus prints itself in the system’s RAM memory and this virus gets activated when the operating system is loaded.
Web scripting virus:
This type of virus uses the code of the web browser and website. If you access a web page that is infected with such a virus, the virus can infect your computer.
Polymorphic Virus:
It keeps changing its code when any file is executed. It does this to evade antivirus programs. Therefore, it becomes very difficult for a commonly used antivirus to find it.
File Infector Virus
When any file is executed, it puts malicious code in it. Generally this type of virus comes with such .exe files which are already infected with this virus. Generally when you download a cracked file, this type of virus comes with that file in your laptop or computer.
Multipartite Virus:
This type of virus spreads in many ways. It can infect both the program and the system.
Macro virus:
This type of virus often spreads through email attachment. Whenever you download a virus-infected email attachment, then this virus enters your system.
Overwrite Virus:
Some viruses are specifically designed to destroy file or application data. This is one of them. This virus can infect the system as well as change the code of the program file. There is only one way to remove this type of virus and that is to delete the file which is infected with this virus.
Browser hijacker:
This type of virus “hijacks” the functions of some web browsers and can automatically send you to an unexpected website. This type of virus sends you to such a website by the manufacturer for his own benefit so that he can benefit.
How computer virus spreads?
There can be many reasons for getting a virus in any computer. For reasons such as sharing files through any virus-infected device, downloading any file, game, music, android app or movie from any virus-infected website, downloading virus-infected email attachments, etc. spreads out.
How to avoid malware virus: Virus Protection?
Friends, there is a saying in a homeopathic “precaution is better than cure” which means that protection is better than cure. What it means to say here is that if you want to protect your system from viruses, then you have to follow the things mentioned below.
- Avoid downloading any cracked file.
- Avoid downloading email attachments sent by any unknown person. These emails are specially sent to you under a temptation such as “I love you” or “You have won a lottery” in a similar way that gives you any kind of lure.
- Do not download any file from any such website which is unauthorized.
- Always use a good quality antivirus in your system.
- Attach it to your system only after scanning the USB, Pen drive. If you are not using antivirus then try to avoid using removable device in such a situation.
Conclusion
I have provided all the information about Virus And Malware in a Computer. I hope you gyus get ideas about What is Virus and Malware. Comment below if you liked this article. Thank You.
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