It can sound scary to sit and listen to all of the threats that out there for your business and operating systems. It is exciting to watch technology grow and change, but malicious software is growing and changing at the same time. Just like when you were a kid, things we don’t understand can become less scary once we shed some light on them. Let Willow Bend Systems be the illumination you need to stop being afraid of malware and start learning about how we can work against it.
What Is Malware?
In this blog, we’re going to discuss the differences between different types of threats against your computer systems. Before we get into that though, you should know that almost all of the software threats you will face are known as Malware. Malware is any piece of software that was intentionally designed to inflict harm to a computer, server, client, or computer network.
Malware is only able to inflict this damage after it is implanted or introduced somehow into the targeted person’s computer. After that, it can assimilate the form of executable code, scripts, active content, and other software.
What Is A Computer Virus?
We’ve all heard the term ‘virus’ before, but many people only have a cursory understanding of what that actually means. This particular type of malware has become the catch-all name for most internet threats, but let’s take a closer look. A virus is a type of malware that infects your system by inserting a copy of itself into and, essentially, becoming part of another program. This means that a virus infects your systems, but you might not know it until you open or run the afflicted program.
Viruses like this can only be spread by human interaction, whether it is intentional or not. These infected files or programs can be shared and spread between multiple systems and devices before anyone is the wiser. A common issue is the spread of viruses through email attachments and file sharing applications. The damage viruses cause can range pretty wildly. They can become mild annoyances or completely overwrite other programs with copies of themselves.
What Is A Trojan Horse?
This piece of malware works just like the famous bit of trickery that it gets its name from. This time, instead of fooling Greek soldiers, it will attempt to fool you and your employees. And instead of losing the Trojan War, you’ll have a possibly massive data breach on your hands. When you first see it, this piece of software will look legitimate, even familiar. It only starts inflicting damage and harm once you’ve installed or run it on your computer.
Just like viruses, a Trojan horse can vary in its’ severity. Some will do casual harm like altering your desktop. Others will delete complete files or open up back doors into your operating system, allowing unauthorized access to your sensitive information. The good news is that most Trojans do not reproduce themselves to spread which can make their impact more isolated.
What Is A Computer Worm?
A worm is a type of computer virus, but just because they fall under the same heading does not make them the same type of threat. One of the ways that it differs from your typical virus is that it does not require any human interaction to spread. A worm has the ability to self-replicate and travel on its own using the information transport features already on your system.
The most significant threat from a worm is the fact that it can create possibly thousands of copies of itself and send them all in different directions which can have severe consequences. Once it spreads to another system, the process continues, and the math gets harder to do, but the impact is clear to see. In most cases, a worm will do its best to consume computer memory and network bandwidth to jam your network.
You Know The Differences, Take Action
Informing you of all the threats you face and all the things they can do is not a scare tactic. We offer this information to show how essential it is to take your security seriously. Partnering with a managed service provider like us is a critical step in securing your systems from threats like these. At Willow Bend Systems, we believe that there is no one perfect security solution. That is why we bring a layered approach to your security services. We look at the hazards you face and build strategies to counter them with services including:
- Penetration & Vulnerability Testing
- Threat Remediation
- Managed Threat Security
- Professional Network Security & Compliance
What Happens When Security Measure Fail?
At Willow Bend Systems, we provide the industry’s best security precautions, but there is not a perfect piece of antivirus software yet. We will do everything we can to protect your systems and information, but we don’t stop there. In those moments when security fails, you’ll be glad you had a professional disaster recovery plan in place.
All of the antivirus programs in the world won’t stop things like natural disasters or the future malware threats that don’t exist yet. However, disaster recovery will be there for you and your business. The precaution we recommend will protect the continuity of your company and keep your doors open even after a severe data breach.
Whether you need a disaster recovery solution including a cloud-based data center or security services with 24/7 monitoring, Willow Bend Systems has the methods and practices that you need. Reach out today to learn more about everything we have to offer.