Surges in malware and other computer viruses have been making headlines lately. It seems the more the number of security flaws or infected websites rise, the higher the price to fix them becomes. A single exploited computer virus can do untold damage to an entire business network. The sheer number of websites and files that can be contaminated is mind boggling. And it happens all the time.
It’s not just businesses that experience a surge in malware attacks. Home computers, laptops and desktops are being targeted by unscrupulous intruders every day. No one is safe from the rising tide of malware infections. When an entire computer system becomes overrun by malicious code, this is often referred to as a “malware attack.” If a malware attack strikes a business or an individual’s computer system, the impact is far-reaching and often devastating.
What exactly is a malware attack? Malware or a “malicious” program is any software or hardware device that can perform harmful activities. This includes both viruses and Trojans – the later carrying out harmful actions such as data theft and general damage to the operating system, while the former are primarily used for monetary gain. While there are some malware programs that can only perform specific harmful tasks, most can spread from one computer to another.
So what can a computer user do if they experience a surge in malware? First of all, it’s important to understand the difference between a computer virus and a malware infection. A virus may cause immediate damage by corrupting files on your hard drive. However, a computer virus can spread from one computer to another over the Internet, or it can spread from your computer to other devices. A malware infection, on the other hand, is usually more serious than just corrupting files on your hard drive – it has the potential to shut down your computer permanently, steal confidential information, and generally make life difficult for you and your computer. While a virus may not have the potential to harm your computer in a tangible way, a malware infection can cause serious problems that may require you to replace your entire operating system.
It’s always best to make sure your computer is protected against threats; however, there are some proactive steps you can take to ensure you stay away from malware infections. One of the most important things you can do is use a reliable online virus protection program. These programs are designed to detect signatures within files and identify them so you know whether to quarantine or remove the file. While most anti-virus programs can’t identify every possible malware threat, they are designed to be extremely effective at finding and removing the most threatening programs.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the threats, don’t forget about prevention. If you haven’t backed up your data often enough, you could encounter a loss of important data if your computer experiences a severe malware attack. Preventing a malware attack in the first place is better than trying to cure one. By backing up your data regularly, you can minimize the risk of a serious problem happening. Don’t let Malware Cyber Attacks cause problems for your computer!
