Protect yourself from malware
We'd like to believe that the Internet is a safe and honest place for everyone, but there's no denying that online criminals and hackers are lurking out there, trying to cause trouble. One way that they cause trouble is by spreading malware. You can protect yourself by learning what malware is, how it spreads and how to prevent it.
What's malware?
"Malware" is any kind of software that's designed to harm a computer. Malware can steal sensitive information from your computer, gradually slow down your computer or even send fake emails from your email account without your knowledge. Here are some common types of malware that you might have heard about:
- Virus: A harmful computer programme that can copy itself and infect a computer.
- Worm: A malicious computer programme that sends copies of itself to other computers via a network.
- Spyware: Malware that collects information from people without their knowledge.
- Adware: Software that automatically plays, displays or downloads advertisements on a computer.
- Trojan horse: A destructive program that pretends to be a useful application, but harms your computer or steals your information after it's installed.
How malware spreads
Malware can get onto your computer in a number of different ways. Here are some common examples:
- Downloading free software from the Internet that secretly contains malware
- Downloading legitimate software that's secretly bundled with malware
- Visiting a website that's infected with malware
- Clicking a fake error message or pop-up window that starts a malware download
- Opening an email attachment that contains malware
There are a lot of different ways that malware can spread, but that doesn't mean that you're powerless to stop it. Now that you know what malware is and what it can do, let's go over some practical steps that you can take to protect yourself.
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