Computer malware is software that alters the way a computer works by way of malicious and intrusive codes, and can spread from computer to computer. It is annoying at best and can cause damage to your computer and compromise your personal data at worst. Anyone who has experience with needing data recovery Brentwood TN due to loss of data knows that this is just one of many casualties that malware can cause. Here are four types of computer malware, and the damage that they can cause.
Worms
A worm is a self-replicating and malicious program, named as such for the way it spreads between computers and networks. Common ways to get a worm include email attachments or clicking malignant hyperlinks. Worms often target networks that have not updated their security software. Some dangers of worms include their ability to modify and delete information on a computer.
Trojan Horse
A trojan horse is a subset of malware that is hidden in the background, so a typical computer user would initially not know it is there. Often, a Trojan masquerades as something useful. Trojan horses can download adware, spyware, and ransomware in the background. They can also overload a network and cause it to run slowly and less efficiently.
Adware
Adware causes pop-up advertisements and banners to display on a website for the purpose of generating revenue. Some risks of adware include automatically changing the homepage of your internet browser, installing unwanted programs on your computer, and leading users to infected websites.
Spyware
Spyware software collects data about a computer user without their knowledge. One way that spyware does this is through logging a user’s keystrokes. Dangers associated with spyware include identity theft and the compromise of personal information and passwords.
Taking the necessary steps to protect your data from malware can save you a lot of time and hassle in the future.
