Category Archives: Malware

Understanding Why Malware is Such a Huge Threat

Malware
Cybersecurity, Malware, Security, , , ,

Malware has become a familiar term for computer users, and this is not such a good thing. They coined the term back in the 1990s and it is a combination of the English words “malicious” and “software”. As its etymology suggests, it refers to harmful programs meant to deal with damage to systems, often to gain access to confidential data. These threats are very widespread and are becoming an increasingly serious cybersecurity threat.

Common Types of Malware to Watch Out for

Over the years, hackers have developed new types of malware. To stay protected, one of the first things we need to do is to be aware of these threats and how each of them works.

Viruses

Computer viruses work in the same way as viruses that cause people to get sick. When you open a nefarious file, which can happen even with a single unintentional click, the virus that is attached to it will infect your computer. It will replicate itself within your system and attach itself to other programs. Just like a regular virus, it will spread across different computers until the entire network is infected.

Spyware

The purpose of spyware is to peek into confidential data. It attaches itself to legitimately downloaded files, and once it is inside your system, it reports information like passwords, account names, bank details, and so on, to a separate website. Often, you can tell if spyware has infected you if your computer slows down considerably.

Adware

Do you ever notice those annoying pop-up ads that show up while you are using your computer? It’s hard not to. Sometimes they tell you your computer is now infected, or you have won a prize. This malware will start showing up after you have downloaded something from an unsecured website. The adware pop-ups are not dangerous in themselves, but when you click on them, they will get a lot more hazardous quickly.

Ransomware

Ransomware attacks have multiplied tremendously in recent years, along with the rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies. What these do is freeze your network or data without actually causing damage just yet and release it only after you have paid the ransom that the hacker is demanding. But if you refuse to pay the ransom, what usually happens is the hacker will delete all your data from the device that is the hostage.

Botware

A new type of malware that is rapidly becoming quite popular, botware renders your computer immobile by inundating it with denial-of-service attacks. One effect of botware is that it makes your CPU run ceaselessly, causing a noticeable surge in your electricity usage.

Malvertising—A New Type of Malware

Aside from the common malware that we described above, there is also a new type of malware that might be worthy of its own category. This is called “malvertising” today.

Instead of attaching themselves to downloadable programs and such, malvertising piggybacks onto legitimate advertisements. The perpetrators use legit ads to spread malware through auto-redirecting ads. When you come across these redirecting ads, you will find yourself on a phishing website before you know it.

Cybercriminals that use malvertising prefer larger ad networks because they distribute a higher volume of ads. It is very difficult for these networks to keep a very close eye on every single ad they display. That is what the malvertisers are banking on. If no one notices they were able to infiltrate the script of ads and add their encrypted code, they can easily use this to install more dangerous malware into the victim’s network.

Final Thoughts On Malware-

Eradicating malware is an impossibility because there are always new ones being developed. But the good thing is that we can stay protected by being vigilant and prudent in all our online dealings.

If you want to learn more about malware and how to protect your business from it, just give us a call. We can give you a full lecture on online threats, conduct employee training, and bolster your defenses against all kinds of malware. Start your new Employee Training today and have everyone in your office watch our Free Cybersecurity Webinar. It’s a great first step in protecting your data.

4 Signs that There’s Malware Hiding on Your Work Computer

Anti-virus, Malware, Security, , , ,
Portrait of shocked and surprised IT manager realizing there is malware hiding on the work computer

Having a proactive plan to deal with malware can minimize the impact

Malware comes from everywhere. You can pick it up from files, websites, interesting PDFs and so much more. Everyone is subject to a little malware and it’s understood that professionals who must access the internet for work will inevitably get some kind of malware on their work computers. That’s just the world we live in now, and businesses have long since adapted to the idea of Backup Recovery when cybersecurity is never 100%.

But as a professional living your day-to-day, it’s also important to know how to identify malware when you pick it up. Unlike when the trend started back in the 90s, modern malware is pretty darn sneaky. It doesn’t cover your screen in ads anymore or obviously open and close programs. Instead, it eats your processor speed and steals your data in the background. Sometimes for months before you realize.

Today, we’re here to share four of the most tell-tale signs that there’s malware hiding on your work computer and it’s time to do a little BDR with a fresh operating system.

 

Unusually Slow Performance with Offline Programs

Internet speed ebbs and flows, even in the most high-speed office or the quietest residential neighborhood. You may expect the occasional slow performance due to internet speeds (or you may not) but slow offline programs are a completely different story.

You know your computer. You know how fast it can handle the offline programs you use regularly. Things that don’t need the internet like a simple calculator, word processor, or image editor. If you’re getting serious lag and latency when you should have your computer’s whole processing power to yourself, this can indicate that you’re sharing power with malware.

A malware program may be able to hide its install location or running processes. But it can’t hide the resources it uses up.

 

Unseen Programs that “Refuse to Close” When You Reboot

When you reboot your computer, Windows will tell you if there’s a program that didn’t close out smoothly with the ShutDown command. Often, this is just a Chrome browser you didn’t fully close. But sometimes, it’s a surprise. Your computer may tell you that Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge are still running when you never use those programs. It might tell you something called xvb55t is running and won’t close, and that is a definite tip-off.

If something is opening programs invisibly on your computer and won’t close when you shut down… that’s malware. No two ways about it. And it’s time to fully wipe your system, because it’s hidden deep.

 

Your Web Extensions Aren’t Working as Expected

So often, web extensions are the cause or target of a malware attack. Most modern professionals run with some kind of ad blocker on. If you use Adblock plus, for example, it tends to pop open an extra tab nearly every time you open a new browser window. Especially from a new or recently cache-cleared device. If that browser window stops popping open, or if any of your other extensions start acting in an unusual or suspicious fashion, malware is often the cause.

You may want to clear your caches, prune your unused extensions, and possibly recover the entire computer to make sure no malware files have been hidden on your computer.

 

After a Scan/Clean/Reboot, You Still Scan Trackers

If you have a manual scanning program like CCleaner or something similar and you suspect there’s malware on your computer, there’s one sure way to check just how virulent that malware really is.

Start with a scan-clean cycle. Scan for trackers and junk and clear them. These could be anything and are often just clearing your temp files of web-junk that could be slowing you down. Reboot your computer, then do another scan. Find new trackers? Find new junk? There’s malware adding malicious crud to your computer as soon as it gets a chance. Also, watch your scanned-for and threat-eliminated results. If the scanner says 1 tracker was found, but it eliminated 3 trackers by the end-report, those trackers were added while the sweep-and-clear was ongoing.

You not only have malware, you have seriously aggressive malware and BDR is the best option.

Find malware on your computer? Have a really intense suspicion that there’s malware lurking? Now is the time to use your company’s backup recovery plan or get in touch with your IT help desk for guidance on how to fully wipe and safely restore your work computer. For more cybersecurity, backup recovery, and malware protection insights, contact us today!

5 Ways to Prevent Malware From Sneaking Onto Your Business Network

Malware, , ,
Prevent Malware - computer security concept

Malware is ever changing and always finding new ways into your device

The single biggest challenge of business cybersecurity is the fact that malware is built to be sneaky. It would be one thing if a hacker attack always triggered alarms and your IT team could fight them off like a castle siege. Or if you could always know what kind of malware would attack and prepare to defend against it. But that’s not how hackers and their automated malicious software work.

Instead, it is their goal to find gaps in your security, slip onto the system, and lurk until there is a way to do damage or otherwise exploit your company. Whether it is spyware, spamware, or ransomware, these malicious programs find ways to sneak into your business network in a wide variety of underhanded and unseen ways. Many businesses today are currently infected and have no idea that their data is being gathered, their IP address is being used for spam, or there is a ransomware attack waiting to strike.

We’ve put together five simple ways that your company can use to prevent malware from sneaking onto your business network in the first place. While hackers are always looking for a new angle, a comprehensive defense can significantly reduce your chances of getting a dangerous malware infection.

1) Fine-Tune Your Firewall

The first step is to make sure that your existing cybersecurity measures are not only strong, but detailed. A firewall is only as effective as it’s settings, and most default firewall settings are not sufficient to block cleverly designed malware. Open ports and generalized policies leave security gaps that malware, disguised as normal business network activity, can slip through.

Masking malware invasions is the primary way that hackers sneak through a firewall. The programs look and act like something firewall default settings will allow and then download themselves right onto your network. Work with your IT team and managed service provider to fine-tune your firewall so that only very specific work activity with key identifiers can make it through.

2) Employee Cybersecurity Training

Human error is actually the leading cause of business malware infections because employees must interact with outside sources like websites, downloads, and client communications in order to do their jobs. This is why hackers have long-since targeted employees with tactics like infected websites and phishing emails.

Your team can be trained to recognize dangerous websites, suspicious “client” interactions, potentially infected downloads, and phishing email attempts so that these are no longer an avenue for business malware infection.

3) Regular Virus Detection Scanning

It’s also safe to assume that at some point, malware will find it’s way onto your network. In fact, there might be some lurking right now from a time before you increased your cybersecurity procedures. This is why virus scanning is so important for both individual workstations and the network as a whole.

There are a variety of virus scanning solutions. There are programs that scan email attachments, computer hard drives, database servers, and complex networks. Make sure to perform comprehensive scans regularly to ensure that particularly sneaky malware does not stay for long.

4) Audit Employee Mobile Devices

Another dangerous avenue for malware infection are employee phones, tablets, and laptops. The more personal a device, the more likely it is that an employee has used it without a business-level of cybersecurity caution while at home or on vacation. The problem is that when these devices come into the workplace and connect to your office wifi, they might be bringing malware riders along with them.

It’s best to make a company policy that requires monthly virus scans of employee mobile devices, particularly if these devices are provided by the company. If employees are uncomfortable with having their personal devices checked for malware, ask them to refrain from connecting to the central company network with unsecured devices.

5) Work-Only USB Drives

Finally, watch out for USB drives. These incredibly useful little devices are great for transferring data from one computer and location to the next, but they can also be carrying infectious malware programs without the knowledge of the user. Once again, this is an especially serious risk when employees are using USBs they have brought from home.

If your workplace uses or permits the use of USB drives for file storage and transfer, make sure the drives are scanned and fully wiped regularly and consider limiting employees to only using work-provided USBs (that you can regularly secure) for plugging into work computers.

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Malware is designed to be slippery, to hide on infected devices and to spread to new devices and networks when possible. Protect your business network from sneaky malware infection by covering all your bases, scanning for viruses regularly, and limiting employee’s ability to accidentally bring viruses to work from less careful personal online activities.

For more expert cybersecurity advice, a consultation on the health of your network, or a new MSP partnership for your business, contact us today!

3 Reasons Why Your Malware Needs Active Management

Malware, Security, , , , ,
Business man downloading an anti-malware program or antivirus software

Are your servers and workstations protected?

Everyone knows the importance of installing malware and virus protection. Whenever you get a new laptop or device, a quick click to your preferred vendor is usually one of the first steps you have the computer connections to the Internet. But knowing how the programs work is almost as important as knowing how important they are.

How do malware programs work?

Most anti-malware programs compare downloads and new programs against a list of known malware signatures. In other words, they compare incoming data and code against recognizable bits of malware. If it finds a match, the new download is either blocked entirely or is more closely scrutinized.

Other types of antivirus and anti-malware tools investigate potential threats in different ways. They might test out suspect downloads in a closed environment, or a ‘sandbox,’ to see how it behaves. Some smart programs look at how downloads behave before weighing in. So most malware protections don’t just scan initial downloads and new activity. They also monitor your computer as a whole for new or suspicious behavior.

What do patches and new updates provide?

Malware is getting smarter and stronger all the time. Your tools need to update ahead of that curve to provide continuous security to your system. A lot of upgrades are centered around the program’s database of known threats. As the service provider and cybersecurity institutions identify new threats, they add them to the database. But if you don’t install the new patch or ignore the update alert, that new information is never added to your computer.

Updates can also improve control over the sandbox environment or add new warning signs for behavioral anti-malware programs to investigate. Basically, if your anti-malware was downloaded a year ago and never updated, it won’t know what to do against new threats. Virus creators and malicious actors know that people tend to be a bit lax on their updates, so they tend to focus on malware that doesn’t display any of the old warning signs.

Why should you leave the update schedule in the hands of your IT service?

Leaving update schedules up to your employees is bad for business. The same people who leave their computer in sleep mode instead of shutting it down for new updates also won’t update the software. Here are three reasons why leaving it in the hands of an administrator, especially a third-party administrator, is better:

1. You know that everyone’s device is up-to-date.

Some of your employees will update their anti-malware software as soon as they get the alert. Others might shut down their computer regularly enough that the system updates without their knowledge. But other updates might linger for days or weeks before they’re implemented.

When your company uses mobile devices that aren’t always on your network, it’s easier for unsecured devices to pick up a bug and bring it into the office. But, when control of the update schedule is centralized, you don’t have to worry about delays.

Centralized control also brings a stronger guarantee: you know that everyone is using the same program. BYOD policies and laptops that have been used by the same employees for years could have a random scattering of different antivirus programs, all with different levels of quality and privacy. But your IT service will both provide a program and ensure its updates.

2. You get a report so you can verify that your company is in compliance.

You don’t just want to know that everyone’s computer is updated. Depending on your industry, you might need regular proof of when updates happened and what types of updates they were. Regulatory agencies are getting more and more strict about data leaks, and professionals will give you records and receipts for your paper trail.

3. Internal emergencies won’t cause delays.

Even if you hand over anti-malware updates to a systems administrator in your office, there could still be delays. A website outage, a late product delivery, or even downsizing could get in the way of the schedule. But when you use a third-party IT service, the update schedule is preset and one of their business priorities.

If you want to make sure your anti-malware software is strong both now and in the future, browse our services to find the right package for your business.