What is Malware? - Essay Sample

Introduction

There are several types of software designed, written and released for various uses. There are those made to be used to assists in the accomplishing of many tasks. There are some used as tools to assist the ones who are to produce different other programs to be used as tools or application software for the end user. It is prudent to note that there is software that is specifically meant to cause destruction. The authors have specific sinister motives behind them by interfering with the normal functioning of the computer operations. This paper will be looking at such destructive software which is referred to as malware or malicious software, their origin and how they are controlled.

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Malware is a program that is malicious and is destructive to the computer user. It interferes with the normal functioning of the computer system and hence prevents the user from accomplishing his or her usual activities (Mello, 2018). Many other programs form malware which includes computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. In addition to these, there are also spyware and any other program that is working similarly. These programs perform several functions of an adverse nature like stealing or encrypting of data. Some delete sensitive data or corrupt it so that it does not have any use to the ones meant for it. There are those that go to the extent of hijacking the functions of the computer without consent or permission from the ones who are in charge of the machines.

Initially, some programs were not causing destruction but were instead meant for other things. The early viruses were spread physically through the insertion of floppy diskettes from one machine to the other. Those were the times that the internet and databases were not existent. This dates back to the year 1945 when John Von Neumann produced a paper that showed that a computer program could replicate itself (Hogson, 2005). It was at that time that a game was played to create software that was competing for the control of computers. The first computer virus is believed to be the self-replicating program that was written by Bob Thomas. This specific program copied itself to other systems and displayed a particular message to indicate that it had gotten into those other systems successfully. McHugh and Deck (2005) observe that the term virus was coined by Fred Cohen who came up with its definition as a program that can infect others and modify their code for them to act like the malicious software. It is from these settings that the massive virus industry was established.

The coming of the web and the capability to connect computers across the globe gave rise to the need to trade in goods and services by taking advantage of the new technology. Typical of any new inventions there are always people who are out to misuse it to gain power over others in making money. There is a group that is out to cause trouble for the sake of it.

Initially, the viruses were spread by the use of floppy diskettes and ten later using some CD-ROM varieties. According to Paler, 2018) from these systems it was common to have them spread using personal emails where unsolicited messages could be received with attachments containing malicious codes. Later there was a migration with some authors choosing to attach them to download. Some downloads were popular due to their availability and also due to their being shareware. The ones at higher risk are the ones who did not have any form of protection.

The first malicious codes were not that much destructive as they had a lower degree of sophistication. They had a variety of minor things that they accomplished like the deletion of data and the corruption of the storage devices like diskettes and hard disks (Hodgson, 2005). There were others that annoyed their victims by playing sounds, making the computer perform some undesired activities and the displaying queer messages.

Most of the attacks perpetrated during those days were simple, but they are the ones that formed the basis of the current one. There have been advanced attacks which appear to have been developing over time in line with changes made in the software field. Currently, there are enormous resources spent in the form of time and money in trying to control or prevent attacks from these programs.

Malware has evolved over the years just like the traditional software, and there are different of them depending on the goals of the authors. McHugh and Deek (2005) agree that they are using advanced ways to hide and have various forms of attacking their targets. There is also the case of ransomware whose principal task is to destroy any evidence of a Trojan attack. This makes it difficult sometimes to tell the kind of attack that has been carried out and by what type of software code.

The Trojan malware or Trojan horse is the most common type of malicious code. It disguises as some useful tool and hence tricks the user into having it installed. It is then that it carries out its destructive activities. This form of code sneaks into the system preventing the user from detecting it easily. Some of the other activities that can be carried out by a Trojan are the collection of passwords and logins (Van der Molen, 2012). They are also responsible for taking screenshots and critical personal data and system information to be used in turning off protection. These are used by solo hackers, criminal gangs, and state-sponsored operatives.

Spyware is meant to spy on and monitor the system with the objective of sending this data to its creators. Some of the data to be captured is the messages sent, browsing history and the apps used. Some may come embedded on the browser toolbar to monitor the way the internet is used, and the sites visited (Mello, 2018). There are cases where it is sold as software to be used by parents in monitoring their children internet use and the employees by the management. There are others who use them to spy on the spouse this means that they will be ignored by any antivirus software installed.

Ransomware is delivered through email and has been known to lock the system until some ransom is paid. Wiper malware is delivered with the goal of wiping out the data from the system. This is used mostly after the attackers have gained access to the data required. Hodgson (2005) agrees that worms are designed to be replicated and spread over throughout the system. Adware is there to pop up windows for the sake of advertisements without the consent of the user. Botnets are robot networks used by criminals to hijack the system and effect coordinated attacks once they have it at their disposal.

The authors of these programs must devise ways through which they will spread to other files or computers infecting them in the process. Other than the devices and the software these programs also infect networks. The most common method that has been in used in the delivery of these programs is the USB, but there are other means like the network through which any two or more devices may communicate or exchange data and information. Currently, one of the ways that most malware are spread is through downloads effected over the internet. Most authors use the drive-way download such that the system will initiate downloads without the approval of the users and in so doing they will install malware (Palmer, 2018). Usually, when the user vastest the given malicious websites they will trigger these automatic downloads, and that is why it is advisable not to visits any sites especially using a system not protected. The other form of attack that is increasing by the day is the phishing attacks which are affected by emails that are sent purportedly from legitimate sites. When the given emails or attachments are downloaded and accessed, they will end up infecting the system with some malware without the users suspecting anything happening. Some sophisticated malware uses the command-and-control mechanism from the server where they are allowed to take charge of the system and communicate with the infected systems and access sensitive data and take care of the compromised system from a remote location.

With time there some emerging strains of malware which make use of new ways of evasion and obfuscation techniques which are specifically meant to fool the ones who are using this system. Besides the can also fool system administrators who are more knowledgeable than the ordinary users. They also have some stealth mechanism that they use to avoid antimalware products in the market. Some of the mechanisms used are as simple as web proxies to disguise their traffic or addresses that point towards their sources. Mello (2018) agrees that there is polymorphic malware which keeps on changing their code to avoid being selected by tools that can recognize such threats through their signatures. Others make use of anti-sandbox techniques through which they exhibit capabilities of detecting when they are being analyzed, and hence they postpose execution until such a time when the sandbox leaves. Lastly, there is the file less malware which as the name suggests does not have a file associated with it but instead resides in the RAM making it difficult for it to be detected.

Some programs share the same traits and with malware but differ entirely from them. Examples are Adware which annoys the users by producing advertisements that are not authorized by them. Through these actions, they end up interfering with the performance of the system. Although they have similarities with malware, the only difference is that they do not contain malicious code meant to either harm the users or their systems. It is agreed that in some situations the adware can be hijacked and turned into malvertising threats (Van der Molen, 2012). There is also Adware that is known to contain features that can be used in collecting information such as browsing histories and other data of a personal nature without the user's consent or knowledge.

A PUP or potentially unwanted program is also another program that has been known to act as malware. These work by tricking users into installing them into the system especially browsing toolbars from where they can be used without harming the system. There are cases where PUPs have been known to contain malicious code and spyware featured and hence qualify to be malware.

Malware is delivered through contact with the machine or device having the malicious code. This can be effected manually through the movement of CDs, diskettes and USB disks from an infected system to one that is free from the code (McHugh & Deek, 2005). This form of delivery of the code is becoming outdated, and most of them are currently spread through communication between various machines on the internet or different types of networks. It is common for attackers to send emails or attachments containing the malicious code to be delivered. There are cases of systems sending a message letting the user has won some lottery or prizes and when they make a follow-up on this post that is when the malicious code is delivered. There are also other means used in delivering this malware that does not necessarily require action by the user.

There need to be basic practices that should be adhered to for the sake of protecting systems and the users. The most common is having a system that is up-to-date using the current ones would contain security updates defending against some identified attacks. When patches are not downloaded and installed then systems become vulnerable to malware attacks because they do not have the latest code distributed for the newest form of protection (Hodgson, 2005). Cyber security software also needs to be installed to minimize various other types of attacks like the ones emanating from unauthorized sources. Users need to be taught and made aware of email phishing techniques and asked to av...