Malware – an umbrella term for any kind of malicious software designed to disrupt operation, steal information, or gain access to private computer systems. If you’re a regular computer user, you’ve probably stumbled across malware at some point.
Ransomware is an umbrella term for a group of viruses that holds valuable information hostage– either by encrypting your data so that it is unreadable or by totally locking you out of your computer.…
Scareware is a malicious file that falsely informs the user their computer is infected, only to actually infect it in the end. This is mostly a psychological manipulation and often appears in the form of a pop-up. Other names include Deception Software, Rogue Scanner Software, and Fraudware.…
Adware is malware that was created to constantly bombard you with advertisement, redirect your browsing searches to ads, and consistently collecting marketing-type data from your browsing history. This information is shared with third-parties to specify and target personalized advertisements to each user directly. …
A Backdoor is a software that opens an undocumented portal to the infected device. In terms of Malware, this opens up a passage for other infections to make their way onto your computer, in addition to providing access to hackers to come and go as they please to take over your system. …
A worm is a malicious software that requires no human intervention to be triggered, is self-replicating, and spreads through devices using a network. Its main goal is to remain on the system for as long as possible, while spreading to as many devices as possible.
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Spyware is a type of Malware created to gain access to your personal information without your consent to send to third parties. Just as it sounds, Spyware essentially “spies” on the user for the hacker. Spyware programs can come in many various forms such as Trojan Horses, adware or tracking cookies.
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Rootkits are malicious programs that are designed to allow continued access to your computer, while actively hiding themselves and other harmful programs or processes. Often loaded through Trojan Horses, rootkits start on your PC with “user” level access. Once in, they can spy on passwords and gain administrator level access. From this highest level of access to your PC, different executable files can be placed onto your PC thereby commanding it to run differently.
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A Trojan Horse is a type of Malware that is often unknowingly, yet willingly, downloaded onto a users computer. These are most commonly bundled with free downloads from the internet, such as games, emails, or a disguised legitimate file.
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Here at FixMeStick, we often receive comments and emails from readers who suspect their computer has been infected by a virus. So what exactly is a computer virus? And how you can tell if your computer is experiencing a general operating system issue or a virus-related one?
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