Malware: What Is It?

CashAdvance.com wants you to be ready for any kind of scam you may find. One of the most common types of scams online involves the use of malware. Malware, short for malicious software, is any type of software which is harmful to your computer or takes partial control of it.

There are innumerable types of malware. It may be in the form of any type of file, and may even be included with other legitimate files. One recent report has addressed people downloading games from torrent sites. While downloading pirated games is illegal, some games have been implanted with malware in order to steal personal information or use your computer as a type of “slave.”

One form of computer enslavement is called a botnet. A botnet uses your computer, along with potentially thousands of others, as a remote distributor of malware. It is often difficult to tell that your computer is being used in this fashion, but it is nonetheless actually aiding the party which victimized you in spreading the malware to new victims. Using your computer helps maintain the anonymity of the original malware creator.

Often malware masks itself as a legitimate file. These are often called Trojans, in reference to the famous Trojan Horse, because they are outwardly deceptive. Once installed on your computer, they can wreak terrible damage. It is possible, for example, for the program to record your keystrokes, the keys you press and the sequence. In this way, the program, also known as spyware, can report to the originator the various passwords, account numbers, credit card numbers, and other information you use every day.

Malware seeks to remain in hiding. Therefore, detecting malware on your computer can be extremely difficult. Using virus protection software from companies like McAfee, Norton, and Symantec, as well as keeping them updated, is a great way of protecting yourself online.

If you are concerned that your computer has been infected by malware, you should immediately use an antivirus program. You can also report the crime to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

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