Macro Virus: These type of virus infects word, excel, PowerPoint, access and other data files. Once infected repairing of these files is very much difficult. Show Master boot record files: MBR viruses are memory-resident viruses and copy itself to the first sector of a storage device which is used for partition tables or OS loading programs .A MBR virus will infect this particular area of Storage device instead of normal files. The easiest way to remove a MBR virus is to clean the MBR area, Boot sector virus: Boot sector virus infects the boot sector of a HDD or FDD. These are also memory resident in nature. As soon as the computer starts it gets infected from the boot sector. Cleaning this type of virus is very difficult. Multipartite virus: A hybrid of Boot and Program/file viruses. They infect program files and when the infected program is executed, these viruses infect the boot record. When you boot the computer next time the virus from the boot record loads in memory and then start infecting other program files on disk Polymorphic viruses: A virus that can encrypt its code in different ways so that it appears differently in each infection. These viruses are more difficult to detect. Stealth viruses: These types of viruses use different kind of techniques to avoid detection. They either redirect the disk head to read another sector instead of the one in which they reside or they may alter the reading of the infected file’s size shown in the directory listing. For example, the Whale virus adds 9216 bytes to an infected file; then the virus subtracts the same number of bytes (9216) from the size given in the directory.
What’s your spyware IQ? We can help you raise it.
There are many types of malware out there, from viruses to adware. One of the most problematic types, though, is spyware. Spyware isn’t designed to disrupt only your computer; it’s designed to disrupt your entire life. What do you need to know about spyware in order to protect yourself? Below, we’ve put together a complete guide that doesn’t just tell you what spyware is and how it works but, most importantly, how to spot and eliminate it. As you might guess from the name, spyware is malicious computer software that compromises your digital security by allowing others to spy on you in some way. Most often, these spies want to find out more about you so they can send you targeted ads. In addition, some spies are looking to steal your PII (personally identifiable information), either for themselves or to sell it on the black market. What sorts of things can a hacker steal with spyware?1 In the simplest terms, spyware is any software that monitors your computer covertly and transmits the data it collects to someone else. In fact, companies and organizations sometimes install spyware deliberately. Some employers, for instance, use it to monitor what their employees are up to. Sometimes, it shows up in schools as well so administrators can keep an eye on students. However, hackers use most spyware for more malicious purposes: to steal your data without you knowing it and use that data to make money off of you in some way. Basically, spyware has three jobs: infiltration, monitoring, and transmitting. The real answer to the question “who does spyware target?” is “everyone.” Normally, hackers don’t use spyware to target specific groups. Instead, they collect information from anyone they can. Why? Simply put, every piece of information is potentially valuable, and the goal of spyware is to gather as much of it as possible. So, what specific value can your information have? Spyware might be easy to stop if there was only one kind. However, hackers use a variety of methods to spy on you. These are some of the common ones: There are various ways you can wind up with spyware on your device. These are some of the most common: Probably the easiest way to know if your computer is infected with spyware is to run a scan using an antivirus program that detects spyware specifically. That being said, spyware is trickier to spot than most other forms of malware because it doesn’t always change your computer’s behavior in noticeable ways. It’s useful, then, to know some of the warning signs of spyware:5 It turns out that your phone is just as susceptible to spyware as your computer. Make sure not to ignore these signs:6
Mobile devices used to be safer than PCs and laptops when it came to spyware and other kinds of malware. This had to do with how the two types of devices developed. Specifically, early computers weren’t built to resist malware because most of them didn’t connect to the internet. From the beginning, though, smartphones and other mobile devices were connected to the internet. As a result, they came with features like sandboxing, which keeps an attack on one file or application so it can’t spread to others. Times have changed, however. These days, computers come preloaded with security features like antivirus software and firewalls. In fact, some operating systems, such as Chrome OS, are configured to fight malware specifically. That being said, these changes haven’t eliminated cyberthreats. Instead, malware has evolved. As a result of these changes, PCs and mobile devices are now roughly equal when it comes to security. Over the years, hackers have come up with thousands of pieces of spyware. These are some of the most memorable examples:
Spyware can cause a wide range of problems. Some of these are mere annoyances, while others can wreck your day (or even your life). Disrupted OperationsAt a minimum, spyware can disrupt the way your computer operates. It can:
Damaged HardwareSpyware can affect your hardware by:
Stolen DataSpyware isn’t just a threat to your computer. The most insidious spyware is designed to:
Spyware itself may be complex, but it actually works pretty simply. Most often, hackers look for ways to trick you based on your everyday habits and behaviors, things you do without thinking. For example, spyware may ask you to take one of these actions:
Once spyware infiltrates your computer, its job is to collect data about you. There are three basic ways it can do that:
The public first began using the term “spyware” in relation to computers sometime in the 1990s. However, spyware was only a conceptual term back then. It referred to tactics that one government might use to spy on another government. The first commercial application of spyware was in the 1999 freeware game Elf Bowling, which turned out to include tracking software. As a result, by the early 2000s, cybersecurity companies were already using “spyware” in essentially the same way we use it today. In fact, Lavasoft released the first antivirus software package specifically for spyware in 2000.9 Since then, the industry has come to recognize spyware as one of the most problematic, insidious forms of malware. Some companies take offense to their products being labeled “spyware.” They prefer the term “adware” and argue that it improves our lives. Their attitude has opened up a larger debate about the value of such software and its positives and negatives. The Positive Side of AdwareOne side of the debate is that adware and tracking software make our lives more convenient. By monitoring your behaviors, companies argue, software can send you ads tailored to your specific interests. In fact, spyware advocates note that smart homes can’t operate effectively if they don’t spy on us, since that’s how they learn to respond to our needs. The CEO of Nomiku, a kitchen tech company, said, “We get insights from the fridge. It has a freakin’ camera in it. Wow, this guy really loves onions. He’s Shrek! Let’s give him more things with onions.”10 The Negative Side of AdwareOn the other side of this debate, privacy advocates argue that giving companies so much of our personal information is dangerous. For instance, we cannot predict when a hacker might find a way to access all that information.11 As we report in our guide to data breaches, for example, a Yahoo breach exposed over 3 billion user records in 2013, and in 2019, a Facebook breach exposed 540 million records. Ultimately, we can never know when the next breach will happen, or who it will happen to. Because spyware targets your everyday behaviors, you can prevent most attacks easily by modifying your behaviors in pretty small ways:
Even if you practice all the best behaviors for preventing spyware, your device may wind up getting infected anyway. What do you do? The simplest answer is to download and install an antivirus program or app that addresses spyware specifically.
There are also manual methods for deleting spyware from your device, assuming you know the name of the spyware itself. Windows DevicesTo manually remove spyware from a Windows device:
MacsTo manually remove spyware from Macs:
AndroidsTo manually remove spyware from Android devices:
There are dozens of antivirus packages on the market, so how do you choose between them? Here’s a list of what to look for when making your decision.
Preventing and eliminating spyware is crucial to maintain your privacy. However, there are other dangers to your privacy besides spyware. How can you protect yourself? Here are some useful suggestions:
Spyware is a particularly malicious form of malware because it doesn’t just damage your device; it steals your personal data to spy on you, putting your identity at risk. Protect yourself. Know the types of spyware, like keyloggers and banking Trojans. Most importantly, deal with them by choosing the right antivirus software.
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about spyware.
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