![]() Adware is malware that forces your browser to redirect to web advertisements, which often themselves seek to download further, even more malicious software.A rootkitis, as described by TechTarget, “a program or, more often, a collection of software tools that gives a threat actor remote access to and control over a computer or other system.” It gets its name because it’s a kit of tools that (generally illicitly) gain root access (administrator-level control, in Unix terms) over the target system, and use that power to hide their presence.A keyloggeris a specific kind of spyware that records all the keystrokes a user makes-great for stealing passwords. Spyware is defined by Webroot Cybersecurity as “malware used for the purpose of secretly gathering data on an unsuspecting user.” In essence, it spies on your behavior as you use your computer, and on the data you send and receive, usually with the purpose of sending that information to a third party.There are a wide range of potential attack techniques used by malware: Malware can also be installed on a computer “manually” by the attackers themselves, either by gaining physical access to the computer or using privilege escalation to gain remote administrator access.Īnother way to categorize malware is by what it does once it has successfully infected its victim’s computers. A trojanis a program that cannot reproduce itself but masquerades as something the user wants and tricks them into activating it so it can do its damage and spread.A virusis a piece of computer code that inserts itself within the code of another standalone program, then forces that program to take malicious action and spread itself.A wormis a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer.You’ve probably heard the words virus, trojan, and worm used interchangeably, but as Symantec explains, they describe three subtly different ways malware can infect target computers: There are a number of different ways of categorizing malware the first is by how the malicious software spreads. This means that the question of, say, what the difference is between malware and a virus misses the point a bit: a virus is a type of malware, so all viruses are malware (but not every piece of malware is a virus). As Microsoft puts it, “ is a catch-all term to refer to any software designed to cause damage to a single computer, server, or computer network.” In other words, software is identified as malware based on its intended use, rather than a particular technique or technology used to build it. The Web page notes that your computer may have been compromised and refers you to the OIT Help Desk.Malware, short for malicious software, is a blanket term for viruses, worms, trojans and other harmful computer programs hackers use to wreak destruction and gain access to sensitive information. If your computer is blocked, you should receive a warning Web page when you try to use a browser on campus. Some viruses cause network wide problems and we need to block your computer to contain the problem. If your computer has malware, you may be blocked from accessing the UCI network. It is recommended to enable both “on-access” and “scheduled” scanning in your anti-malware software. New malware spreads quickly and you need to have the latest updates to protect your computer. Once you have anti-malware software installed, make sure to keep the definitions up to date. If cost is a factor in preventing you from installing and maintaining anti-malware software, consider using one of these. There are a few free versions of anti-malware software available. There are many available from most computer stores, office supply stores, and the UCI Computer Store. ![]() Purchase commercial anti-malware software. PLEASE CONTACT IF YOU ARE USING OR NEED TO USE KASPERSKY LAB PRODUCTS.įaculty and staff can contact their local computing support for help in obtaining and installing the proper anti-malware software on UCI machines. SPECIAL NOTE: THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HAS PLACED A MORATORIUM ON THE USE OF KASPERSKY LAB PRODUCTS AND PRODUCTS WITH EMBEDDED KASPERSKY LAB SOFTWARE. Malware can allow an attacker to spy on what you are typing, webcam/microphone access, steal files saved there, and worst of all encrypt/destroy files on the system, or held hostage via ransomware. UCI scans incoming email for viruses, but that doesn’t protect you from other computers connected to the network or from infected files that can be downloaded. Anti-malware (also known as anti-virus or AV) software is a critical layer of defense against a wide variety of threats to your computer.
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