Lecture 10

Understanding Malware
 Malware (A malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to

cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network.
 A wide variety of malware types exist, including computer viruses, worms,
Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, wiper and
scareware.
 Malware can be used against individuals to gain information such as
personal identification numbers or details, bank or credit card numbers,
and passwords.
Spyware:
 Spyware is defined as malicious software designed to enter your computer

device, gather data about you, and forward it to a third-party without your
consent.
 it is gathering information about the user to pass on to marketers or
intercepting personal data such as credit card numbers.
 One thing separating spyware from most other malware is that it almost
always exists to provide commercial gain. The operating systems from
Microsoft are the ones most affected by spyware.
Some of the most common ways for computers to become infected include the
following:
 Pirating media, including games, videos and music

 Downloading materials from unreliable or unknown sources
 Accepting a pop-up advertisement or prompt without reading the content
 Accepting and opening email attachments from unrecognized senders.
Adware:
 If the primary purpose of the malware application is to deliver ads, then it

is classified as Adware.
 Adware can have the same qualities as spyware, but the primary purpose
of adware is to display ads and generate revenue for the creator.
 Windows Defender can be used as a first line of defense.
Rootkits:
 Rootkits are software programs that have the ability to hide certain things
from the operating system.
 With a rootkit, there may be a number of processes running on a system
that do not show up in Task Manager or connections established or
available that do not appear in a netstat display
Trojan Horses:
Trojan horses are programs that enter a system or network under the guise of
another program.
A Trojan horse may be included as an attachment or as part of an installation

program.
Trojan horses can be used to compromise the security of your system, and they
can exist on a system for years before they’re detected.
One of the most important measures you can take to combat software attacks
proactively is to know common fi le extensions and the applications with which
they’re associated.
Logic Bombs:
Logic bombs are programs or code snippets that execute when a certain
predefined event occurs.
A bomb may send a note to an attacker when a user is logged on to the Internet
and is using a word processor. This message informs the attacker that the user
is ready for an attack.
a logic bomb in operation. Notice that this bomb doesn’t begin the attack, but it
tells the attacker that the victim has met the needed criteria or state for an
attack to begin. Logic bombs may also be set to go off on a certain date or when
a specified set of circumstances occurs.
Backdoors:
Backdoor refers to gaining access to a network and inserting a program or utility

that creates an entrance for an attacker.
The program may allow a certain user ID to log on without a password or to gain
administrative privileges.
A backdoor attack is usually either an access or modification attack. A number of

tools exist to create backdoor attacks on systems.
Two popular ones are Back Orifice and NetBus. Fortunately, most conventional
antivirus software will detect and block these types of attacks.
Botnets:
 Botnets are networks of computers infected by malware (such as

computer viruses, key loggers and other malicious software) and
controlled remotely by criminals, usually for financial gain or to launch
attacks on websites or networks.
 That means the actor can have all the computers in the infected network
carry out the same instructions at the same time.
 This power to perform actions at massive scale, to coordinate the
behaviour of hundreds of thousands of internet-connected machines, is
what makes botnets so fearsome.
Ransomware:
Ransomware is a type of malware that threatens to publish the victim's personal

data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.
Ransomware delivered through a Trojan—it takes control of a system and

demands that a third party be paid.
The “control” can be accomplished by encrypting the hard drive, by changing

user password information.
Viruses:
A virus is a piece of software designed to infect a computer system.
a virus may do nothing more than reside on the computer, but it may also
damage the data on your hard disk drive (HDD), destroy your operating system,
and possibly spread to other systems.
Viruses get into your computer in one of three ways: ■On contaminated media
(DVD, USB drive, or CD-ROM)■Through email and social networking sites■As part
of another program
some of the following symptoms when determining if a virus infec-tion has

occurred:
The programs on your system start to load more slowly. This happens because
the virus is spreading to other files in your system or is taking over system
resources.
■Unusual files appear on your hard drive, or files start to disappear from your
system. Many viruses delete key files in your system to render it inoperable.
■Program sizes change from the installed versions. This occurs because the virus
is attaching itself to these programs on your disk.
Antivirus Software
 The primary method of preventing the propagation of malicious code
involves the use of antivirus software.
 Antivirus software is an application that is installed on a system to protect
it and to scan for viruses as well as worms and Trojan horses. Most
viruses have characteristics that are common to families of virus.
 Thousands of known viruses, worms, logic bombs, and other malicious
code have been defi ned. New ones are added all the time. Your antivirus
software manufacturer will usually work very hard to keep the definition
database fi les current.
 The second method of preventing viruses is user education. Teach your
users not to open suspicious fi les and to open only those fi les that
they’re reasonably sure are virus-free. They need to scan every disk,
email, and document they receive before they open them.

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Understanding Malware

 Malware (A malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to

 Spyware is defined as malicious software designed to enter your computer

 Pirating media, including games, videos and music

 If the primary purpose of the malware application is to deliver ads, then it

A Trojan horse may be included as an attachment or as part of an installation

Backdoor refers to gaining access to a network and inserting a program or utility

A backdoor attack is usually either an access or modification attack. A number of

 Botnets are networks of computers infected by malware (such as

Ransomware is a type of malware that threatens to publish the victim's personal

Ransomware delivered through a Trojan—it takes control of a system and

The “control” can be accomplished by encrypting the hard drive, by changing

A virus is a piece of software designed to infect a computer system.

some of the following symptoms when determining if a virus infec-tion has

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