The term malware is derived from “malicious software” that can harmfully affect your PC. There are many, many different types of malware, and hackers are continuing to come up with new types every day.

Different types of malware have different effects on your computer, but they can all be extremely harmful to your system. Some take longer to show up in your computer’s infrastructure, however they are all equally problematic, and should be addressed immediately after any sign of infection on your system is shown.

Here is a list of common malware types that affect computer users every day. The biggest difference in these types of malware is their unique ways of crawling into your PC:

• Virus

The term “virus” is now mostly used in a generic sense to mean any kind of malware.

• Worm

Worms are designed to replicate rapidly and to use the Internet or other networks to spread with great facility.

• Trojan or Trojan horse

The term “Trojan horse” (often shortened to just “trojan”) is applied to malware that masquerades as a legitimate program but is in reality a malicious application.

• Key logger

A special kind of trojan that records the keyboard and/or mouse activity on a PC and relays the information over the Internet to someone wishing to record passwords or other personal information.

• Adware

Software that is usually installed by the computer user because of some free feature.

• Spyware

Many forms of spyware differ little from a trojan in that it is an application that carries out an intended function while it also collects information about users without their knowledge.

• Rootkit

A rootkit is hidden malware that operates at the most basic level (the” root”) of the operating system.

• Zombie computer

A Trojan horse is used to plant malware on an unsuspecting PC owner’s system that allows a remote computer to use that system to send out spam or to perform other malicious tasks on the Internet without the owner’s knowledge.

• Botnet

A network of zombie computers.

• Drive-by-Download

The automatic download of software to a user’s computer triggered simply by visiting a Web site or viewing an HTML formatted email.

• Scareware

Malware that pops up windows claiming your computer is infected and offers to clean it for a fee or tries to get you to click a link that will install a trojan.

• Web beacon or web bug

A small, usually 1×1 pixel, transparent image that is placed somewhere in a web page or e-mail.

The best way to avoid any type of malware attack on your computer is to use caution and computer common sense when browsing the internet, checking emails, and clicking links of any sort. Refrain from visiting web pages that look suspicious or carry a lot of ads and popups. Also remember to never open emails from unrecognized sources. Lastly, never click links that are arbitrarily suspicious, such as “click here to get your free car!” or “6 ways to improve your Botox injections here!” Use your instincts when browsing and clicking on your computer. Don’t fall for the gimmicks. Of course, should you ever find yourself unfortunately demised with one of the above mentioned malware types (or any other malware type for that matter), feel free to give us a call! Our technicians here at MTI are highly qualified in virus and malware removal, and will even give you the best recommendations out there for preventing and avoiding future attacks!