Malware is a widely used term to refer to a series of malicious software that are used to compromise a device’s integrity in order to steal information, sabotage operations or insert espionage tools. From bypassing access controls to stealing data, malware is bad business as it could put your day-to-day operations in danger.
Some of the most common types of malware include Trojan horses, viruses, keyloggers, ransomware, fileless malware, worms, bugs, bots, adware, spyware and rootkits. It is very likely that you have at least heard of some of these terms from your antivirus software, which commonly offers to “protect” you from these types of malware.
How do you get Malware?
The most common way in which malware is introduced to your device is through phishing, contaminated flash drives or when a user downloads infected files. It is possible to also be infected with malware when a social media account has suffered a security breach through manual engineering.
While it may seem obvious, most people still don’t stay away from downloading content illegally through the internet. The danger with peer-to-peer file sharing lies in the name itself – files that are downloaded from sources such as BitTorrent often travel through various devices, not all of which will have the appropriate cybersecurity software that will protect them from malware, as a consequence passing on their own malware to your computer.
Removable media is the other big part of the problem when it comes to small and medium-sized businesses as employees and co-workers can insert a personal USB stick into a work computer after it has already been connected to other devices that may be infected. If a USB stick of external hard drive has been plugged into an infected device, the removable media will also become infected and will infect any other devices it is plugged into until it has been scanned and disinfected. CDs, DVDs and even USB chargers of e-cigs can carry malware and infect any computer that it is connected to.
Another way in which your device could be compromised and exposed to getting infected by malware is by downloading what is known as rogueware or scareware. This type of malware is concealed by the aspect of what appears to be internet security software that one downloads to their computer willingly. You will usually receive a pop-up that entices you to scan your computer and go through a “clean up” process to remove malware on your computer. However, this is nothing but a gimmick to get you to download the malware itself.
Of course the ultimate way in which your computer can get infected with malware is by not protecting it with the right cyber security strategy, and an antivirus program is unfortunately not the best solution for a business or organisation that has several computers running on the same network – that’s where Kaesim Cybersecurity comes in.
How Malware Can Damage Your Business
Malware specially loves to target small to medium-sized businesses and government organisations. Why? Because they normally don’t have the appropriate network security implemented into their day-to-day operations as something essential.
Being the victim of cyber crime is not something that should be overlooked so easily as the damage could be irreparable and it could cost you your entire business. Malware such as spyware is especially dangerous because it collects information about your day-to-day activities such as passwords, payment information, personal details of your clients and employees and even the content of email messages.
It may not seem like there is much that they could do with information such as your login details, but for a cyber criminal it is a gold mine, as they could easily sell that information on the dark web. If someone has had their personal details leaked because of you, you could have a hefty lawsuit on your hands due to a release of confidential information, even if it was unwillingly given; because as a business owner, it is your duty to protect your team’s and your clients’ personal information.
Not taking action and waiting until a threat strikes is the worst thing you could possibly do for your business’ cyber security integrity. There are security threats for all types of devices and can lurk in all types of Android and iOS devices, which is why instead of a free antivirus that will most definitely not protect your business, you need to work with a company like Kaesim Cybersecurity, that worries about your business’ integrity and security as if it was our own.
