Malware is malicious software that is designed to intentionally attack and harm a computer system. There are several types of malware that each have different goals. Here are some that you may be familiar with.
- Potentially Unwanted Programs (PuP)
A PuP is sneaky. It actually obtains your permission to download but it is loaded with stuff you may not have even agreed to. Have you ever thought you were downloading software but had 20 toolbars in your browser by the time everything was done installing? That’s a PuP. It can be loaded with adware, spyware and other things you just did not want.
- Trojan horse
You may have thought you were downloading a free version of the popular video editing software, but it was really a trojan horse. Once you install the program and run it, malware is being installed in the background and getting ready to wreak havoc. Its goal could be to collect personal information, usernames and passwords, etc.
- Ransomware
With ransomware, your computer’s boot drive is encrypted thus locking you out of your system until you pay the attacker’s ransom. It is very important to never click links in emails without verifying they are legitimate nor download software from unknown sources.
Keep your antimalware/antivirus programs updated and scan regularly to remove existing threats from your machine.