Everything You Need to Know About Protection Against Malware

Malware attacks are becoming increasingly common. Hackers use sophisticated malware to target companies of all sizes; even ordinary people aren’t safe. This presents a complex problem. Namely, how do you protect yourself and your company from malware?

The obvious solution is to get adequate protection against malware. But this is a broad term that could mean anything. So we have to define what the objective is. Is it to protect your operating systems against a malicious software program, protect emails, or something else entirely?

Luckily, the cybersecurity industry is working tirelessly to develop advanced threat protection solutions to protect devices, systems, and malware against malware. And this guide will explain everything you need to know on protecting against malware attacks.

So with all that said, here is what everyone should know.

Different Types of Malware Exist

One of the first things we need to know regarding malware is to distinguish the different types. Namely, malware is a broad term that defines a wide range of cyberattacks and threats. The list includes the following:

• Trojan Horse malware
• Spyware
• Ransomware
• Phishing attacks
• Adware
• Keyloggers
• Worms
• Rootkits

These are some of the most common types of malware that can infect your computer system. Each one has a different objective, with some being highly dangerous, such as ransomware and phishing.

An antivirus software program offers adequate protection against most malicious computer programs. But to deal with the right malware, you need to pick out an antivirus computer program that specializes in adequate protection, or you could choose an advanced threat protection solution that deals with malware attacks as a whole.

Malware Can Infect Your Systems Differently

Since there are various types of malware, it’s important to understand that there infect systems differently. Antivirus software programs can be set up to monitor specific parts of your device, network, or system.

The only way to deal with these threats is to obtain legitimate software that gets the job done. But how does malware infect computer systems and computer files? Here is a brief overview of that:

Spam Emails

Email attachments are some of the most common attack vectors for malicious software. The most common malware that works through email is phishing software. Phishing attacks are commonplace in today’s world for one specific reason — the popularity of email and our dependency on it.

Namely, businesses communicate primarily through emails. They rely on email for both internal and external communication. Unfortunately, most antivirus software doesn’t offer sufficient protection against spam emails and malicious software.

So you’ll need to protect yourself using anti-malware software with spam filtering capabilities.

Office Macros

Office Macros are yet another way for malware to bypass inadequate antivirus scans. The way Office Macros is by hackers creating malicious code that installs malware on company devices.

This specific vector of attack is most prevalent with businesses using Office 365. This is because office 365 allows us to use the native scripting language to create advanced tools for enhanced productivity.

Hackers know this and will try to exploit the scripting language by creating a malicious code that users need to download and execute. This code can come in the form of an Excel spreadsheet or Word document, or any other Microsoft Office file.

Users can protect themselves by acquiring adequate anti-virus software that specializes in eradicating Office Macros.

Other Popular Attack Vectors

Without dwelling too much, it’s important to distinguish other popular attack vectors. These include opening fraudulent websites, compromised USB flash drives, P2P sharing and torrents, and of course, compromised software programs.

In many cases, free software is the most common harbored of malicious code. So it’s best advised to stay away from downloading any sort of free software from your internet browser, as otherwise, you’re begging to be a target of identity theft.

Updating Software Helps Stop Malware

Companies and users must understand that hackers look for software exploits to bypass security teams and enter systems, devices, and networks. One such exploit can be stopped by initiating software patches for outdated programs on your network.

Software patches are issues to prevent malware attacks by “filling up” security loopholes that hackers target. In many cases, a simple software update will do the trick. But not all software notifies the user that it needs to be updated.

So companies can use install software updates through third-party solutions to secure networks, devices, and systems. These solutions provide an entire overview of all programs that need to be updated.

Have Backups On Standby

Hackers are getting bigger and bolder when it comes to targeting systems, devices, and networks. Another way to protect against malware infection is to start backing up your entire system.

Third-party backup solutions are excellent tools to protect your operating system against advanced threats. By backing up your most important data, you rest assured knowing you can recover data instantly after data breaches.

Backups are also important business continuity practices that act as a lifeline in case of accidental deletion.

For example, if one of your employees is tricked into opening malicious websites that result in a data breach, you can wipe the system and back up to the previous version to erase the malware and retrieve your files.

Conclusion

Hackers actively try to access your personal information, company data, and customer data. Despite all security measures in place, all it takes is one wrong click to get your systems infected with malware.

The best way to deal with these threats is to obtain third-party advanced threat protection solutions focusing on early detection to protect against malware.