Malicious software, or malware for short, is used by cybercriminals in a wide variety of campaigns and strategies involving extortion and data theft, among other misdemeanours. Malware comes in many forms, each with its own purpose and attack vector. Today, we’re going to explore some of the different threats enterprises should be aware of:
Ransomware
Ransomware is a kind of crypto malware. It employs encryption in order to disable a firm’s access to its own data. The target organisation may be rendered totally or partially unable to function until it pays the requested ransom. However, no guarantee exists that paying will result in the firm receiving the decryption key necessary to access files and systems once more.
Worms
Worms are aimed at OS vulnerabilities that allow them to install themselves inside networks. They can gain access by several avenues like via flash drives, backdoors and unintentional weaknesses in software. Once installed, threat operators use worms to steal data, launch ransomware or conduct DDoS attacks.
Trojans
Trojan are malicious programs disguised as authentic software or useful code. Once unsuspecting users download it, the Trojan takes control of a victim’s device or system. They can be hidden in apps, games and software patches, or simply embedded in email attachments as part of phishing scams.
Viruses
Computer viruses are a kind of code that can insert itself into an app. They then execute when the application is run. From inside the network, a virus can launch attacks like worms, cause chaos for companies or steal private data.
Spyware
Spyware is designed to gather information about victims without them ever knowing. Once installed on a user’s device it can collect a wide range of data and transmit it back to a threat operator. This information may include a users’ online activity and internet surfing habits, but can also include their unstructured messages, payment details, personal pin numbers, log in and password data.
It is worth noting that the use of malicious spyware is no longer limited to simply desktop browsers it can also infect other user interfaces like critical applications and devices such as smartphones.
Fileless malware
Finally, fileless malware does not initially install anything on company devices and systems; it instead makes alterations to existing files that are native to a device’s operating system. Examples include WMI and PowerShell. Due to the fact that the operating system recognises the altered files as authentic, this fileless attack cannot typically be caught by common types of antivirus software. Furthermore, because of the stealthy nature of these malicious attacks, they are around 10 times more likely to be successful than conventional malware attacks.
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