How Does Malware Work?

In 2022, the digital space had 5.5 billion malware attacks worldwide, a 2% increase from 2021. This surge in malicious activity was last observed in 2018 when 10.5 billion malware attacks boomed across the globe. Worm malware recorded 205 million attempts this year, while the Emotet targeted Asia-Pacific.

Statistics show that the primary channel for these attacks was websites, with executable files being a recurring source of danger. The education sector was most affected, with an average of 2,314 weekly attacks and 5 million malware attacks throughout the year, closely followed by the military, government organizations, and healthcare units.

The growing danger of malware attacks has created an enormous market for protecting against it, worth billions of dollars. As a result, there has been intense competition among companies trying to offer the best protection. Not only regular computers like laptops and desktops are at risk; even tablets and smartphones, while a bit tougher against malware than computers, can still be targeted by these risky programs.

In this time of frequent malware attacks, knowing how to keep your digital stuff safe is essential. In this post, we look at what malware is, how it happens, why it's a threat, and particularly, how to guard yourself against it.

What is Malware?

Malware, the short form for "malicious software," is a big problem for your devices. Technically, malware is software made to sneak into your devices, cause trouble, and gain unauthorized access to your computer networks and systems. These digital villains include viruses, Trojans, worms, adware, and spyware.

Once malware slips into your device, cybercriminals can exploit and destroy your sensitive information, bombard you with inappropriate or unwanted ads, extort payment for decrypting data held hostage by ransomware, and expose your device to even more malicious attacks. Simply put, malware is the digital equivalent of an unseen troublemaker in your digital world – any software created to cause harm. It's essential to know how to keep it out; to do that, you must know how to detect it.

How to know if you have malware?

To maintain security, detecting malware is important. While some types of malware are sneaky and leave zero traces, others show noticeable signs.

Here's how to tell if your device might be infected:

If your device suddenly shows repeated error messages, frequently crashes, and slows down, such sluggish performance could be a sign that malware has consumed system resources.
Malware may prevent your device from restarting correctly or shutting down.
If you're unable to uninstall a particular software or if it reinstalls itself after several removal attempts, it could be a strong indicator of malware interference.
Malware often bombards you with inappropriate pop-up ads that interfere with the content you're trying to look at.
When you notice changes in your web browser, such as unexpected websites or tabs opening, default search engine, icons, and new toolbar alterations.
Be wary when your computer's internet homepage changes without your consent.
If messages or emails are sent out that you know nothing about or didn't write.
If your battery life runs out much more quickly than usual, malware could be working to consume that extra power.

What are the implications of malware on your devices?

Let's look at what could happen if your device is infected with malware.

1. Data theft and data loss

Data loss is more than just losing a few files – it can have significant consequences. In the information age we live in, the value of data is immeasurable. Losing control of your data such as card details, passwords, or sensitive documents, whether through leakage or theft, can have disastrous effects on both global and personal scales, for example:

Stolen personal information can be used to impersonate you, thus causing identity theft. Criminals can take out loans, open credit cards, or engage in fraudulent activities under your name, and this would cause financial disaster.
When criminals get hold of your sensitive documents, private photos, or anything personal, it can be emotionally distressing and could also implicate you in extortion attempts.
Cybercriminals are prominent in infringing banking information and credit card details. They use this information to leave you with substantial financial losses by making unauthorized purchases and drain your accounts to the last coin.
Stolen client databases, technical documentation, or financial records from organizations or governments can cause severe reputational and financial damage. Additionally, theft of sensitive government information like defense plans or intelligence can threaten national security.

2. Disrupts computer and network functionality

Events can unintentionally or intentionally disrupt the smooth operation of individual computer networks and computers. Malicious software, like Trojans and viruses, can intentionally delete critical system components, leading the operating system to malfunction or launch a DDoS attack to overwhelm the network, severely affecting its performance. These massive issues often stem from "bugs" or flaws in the malware's code or underlying operation principles.

Like any other software, viruses can have vulnerabilities or errors that lead to unintended results. Also, it's uncommon for malware to undergo thorough testing before release, a practice sometimes depicted by various commercial software products. Other times, malware may clash with the system hardware and software it infects, causing a significant surge in spam traffic or server failures, paralyzing an organization's network.

3. Exploits system and network vulnerabilities

Malware's ability to exploit vulnerabilities within computer systems and networks is a concern in cyber security. After identifying a weakness like an unpatched operating system, outdated software, or a misconfigured network setting, malware exploits to gain unauthorized access. Once inside, this is what causes system damage or data theft. Additionally, malware disrupts normal system operations, leading to slowdowns and crashes.

4. Deceptive Character of Viruses and Trojans

As we mentioned, some malware can go unnoticed and not show visible damage by hiding in the system. When malicious programs slip through your system, they allow your system and files to continue functioning seemingly as expected – but remember, appearance can always be deceiving. For example, viruses can leave everything "untouched." For organizations, a virus can slip into a corporate network, causing catastrophic effects.

The damage it can cause equals the losses incurred during network downtime needed for disinfection. Additionally, for Trojans, even if the damage is not immediate, it can work to send out spam, which not only consumes internet and network resources but also leads to compromised computers distributing large numbers of spam, often directed towards the organization's corporate mail server.

5. When malware takes over

Unlike Trojans and viruses, browser hijacking disrupts your online experience by actively being in your face – it just doesn't sit quietly in the background. It takes over your internet browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome, controlling it to serve the malicious intent of the criminals. This is what goes on during browser hijacking:

Your homepage is controlled without your consent in that, instead of landing on your intended page, you find yourself on a completely different one that cybercriminals often control.
There is a sudden appearance of unwanted or unexpected toolbars in your browser interface, often loaded with fishy links and features that clutter your browsing space.
You are led to websites you didn't intend to visit, like online ads, which are often harmful sites.
Cybercriminals may manipulate your search engine such that each time you browse something, you fail to get the desired results for them to track your queries.

How do you get infected with malware?

Below are some of the most common ways that your computer or device can get a malware infection:

1. Phishing attacks

Phishing is one of the most cunning ways cybercriminals distribute malware, often disguised as spam emails. They play on your curiosity and trick you into clicking a link or opening an attachment, which leads to installing malware on your device. It could be in the form of an invoice ticket or a delivery notice.

However, phishing attack attachments are not what they seem; if you fall into the trap and open them, you invite malware into your device. Sometimes, you can spot these emails easily from spelling and grammatical errors. But cybercriminals are slowly catching up and crafting emails that appear to be from legitimate organizations or even someone you know.

Find out how likely you are to fall victim to phishing attacks here.

Tip: To protect yourself and reduce the chances of your device falling victim to phishing schemes, remember these tips:

Always exercise caution when you receive an email from an unknown source – or your gut feeling tells you something. Listen, and don't open it.
Always verify an organization's official website when you get unexpected links that you're doubting its legitimacy. Do this using a saved bookmark or typing the organization's URL directly on your browser.
Do not open attachments you weren't expecting, even if they look from a familiar sender. Use a separate channel to confirm with the sender if they sent you the attachment.

2. Infected removable media

Malware often spreads by installing itself automatically when you connect an infected USB drive, external hard disks, or even smartphones connected to your device.

Tip: To avoid these forms of infection, here's what you will do:

Again, extreme caution is advised, particularly with any USB device that isn't yours. When you stumble upon an abandoned or seemingly lost USB device, don't just go ahead, and plug it into devices that have your sensitive data. Indeed, some attackers sometimes deliberately leave infected USB devices in strategic places in public for you to find them.
However, if you decide to plug it in, immediately run a security scan to decipher whether or not it's safe for use.

3. Compromised websites

Malware exploits known software vulnerabilities to slip into your device. When you visit a website, it might exploit vulnerabilities within your web browser and introduce malware – this could be from a genuine site that has fallen victim to hacking or compromise or an intentionally malicious site. Additionally, malware may be in the form of ads on these websites or fake security pop-ups.

Tip:

Regularly update your plugins, web browser, and operating system to fix known vulnerabilities – ensure that some updates are automatic.
Use a trustworthy anti-malware or anti-virus program to scan websites for potential threats.
Use expert penetration tests to uncover potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited and help you penetrate your defenses to learn where and what the risks are and the potential damage of each.
Stick to reputable sites that you are familiar with
Have ad-blocking extensions to prevent harmful ads from appearing on web pages.

4. Infected files

You can get your devices infected when you download content on file-sharing sites or from illegal websites such as games, TV shows, or popular movies.

Tip:

Always download stuff from the official vendor's website.
Read the terms and conditions or directives that pop up before proceeding with any download.

Above all, remember to keep up with the latest cyber security threats and best practices for safe browsing. Other tips include:

Enable a firewall on your device to monitor and filter any incoming and outgoing network traffic.
Use a strong password that's not easy to guess; however, having a multi-factor authentication adds that extra layer of security to all your accounts.
Back up your data regularly to cloud storage or external device to ensure all your important data can be recovered in case of any attack.

Stay safe from malware

You would think you have taken all the precautionary measures to not fall under any attacks, but you would need to do more. As mentioned earlier, some malware attacks are hard to detect. And where cyber threats are constantly evolving and becoming more complicated, more robust measures have become even more critical.

Pulsar's red teaming tests your defenses like a real attack so that you can be ready for anything. Additionally, we have penetration tests that check for weak spots and potential vulnerabilities that help you understand the risks that could jeopardize your company and its assets. Want to leave every stone unturned?