{"id":7011,"date":"2021-05-28T16:12:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T00:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cheapsslsecurity.com\/blog\/?p=7011"},"modified":"2021-05-28T16:12:08","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T00:12:08","slug":"how-to-prevent-malware-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cheapsslsecurity.com\/blog\/how-to-prevent-malware-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Malware Attacks (7 Ways)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The FBI IC3<\/a> reports consumer victims reported total cybercrime-related losses of $4.2 billion in 2020, a 69% increase from 2019. Part of these losses resulted from malware attacks \u2014 so let’s talk about how to stop malware attacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Knowing how to prevent malware attacks is essential for any business that operates online or handles digital data. Cybercriminals want your data \u2014 it\u2019s a valuable resource that they can use to carry out crimes or sell to other bad guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how big a deal are malware attacks? Big. They\u2019re often used to help carry out cyber attacks that result in data breaches, noncompliance, and many other issues. IBM\u2019s Cost of Data Breach 2020<\/a> reported that the average cost of a data breach was $3.86 million and took 280 days to identify and contain. Gartner\u2019s research<\/a> predicts the global research security market will reach $170.4 billion in 2022. 23% of the data breaches resulted from human error observed IBM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this brings us back to our original question of how to prevent malware attacks. But before we dive into that, let\u2019s quickly recap what malware and malware attacks are in the first place.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Malware and What\u2019s Its Role in a Malware Attack?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Malware is a type of software or code that users create to cause harm or disruptions to others. A malware attack occurs when someone uses one or more types of malware to gain unauthorized access to a target\u2019s device, network, or other resources. The malware infection may cause obvious disruptions or may be stealthy, operating unseen in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malware can be divided into 10 broad categories based on their programming and uses, or how bad guys distribute or spread them. Some types of malware tend to overlap, and many sophisticated cyber-attacks use more than one type of malware. The following figure shows a quick overview of the different types of malware<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How
A figure showing the different types of malware.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s look at a short explanation of these types of malware and how they\u2019re used in malware attacks. After that, we’ll get to how to prevent malware attacks from being successful against your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Trojans.<\/strong> This kind of malware is masked as a software update or app. When the software update is installed, the malware is also installed on your computer. A trojan horse malware can lead to other malware attacks, including ransomware, cryptojacking malware, and spyware.<\/li>
  2. Viruses.<\/strong> A virus is malware attacking the victim\u2019s computer by piggybacking on other programs. When the host program is run, the virus is activated. After activation, a virus multiplies itself and spreads the infection within the computer. It is also programmed to send itself to other computers in the same network.<\/li>
  3. Worms. <\/strong>A worm is a type of malware that does not require a human to activate it. A worm is quite dangerous as it can infect, multiply, and send itself to other computers. Due to this, worms spread quickly and are hard to stop.<\/li>
  4. Spyware. <\/strong>Spyware is a category encompassing many types of malware. Cybercriminals use it to observe and record users\u2019 behaviors and keystrokes to capture sensitive data (such as login credentials).<\/li>
  5. Adware. <\/strong>Compared to others, adware is often considered a relatively harmless type of malware. Adware collects users\u2019 data, including their browsing and search histories, shopping preferences, and cart details, to sell to advertisers or display targeted ads.<\/li>
  6. Fileless Malware. <\/strong>Fileless malware does not have its own file for malicious code. It candidly attaches its malicious code to other programs. It is improbable to discover fileless malware due to this feature. This kind of malware often links its code to white-listed programs to avoid detection in a routine scan.<\/li>
  7. Ransomware. <\/strong>A cybercriminal uses malware to encrypt victims\u2019 data, devices, or IT systems to carry out a ransomware attack. They demand a ransom in exchange for a decryption key. In some cases, they\u2019ll exfiltrate the data to a server they control to use as they please. Verizon<\/a> describes ransomware as a \u201cbig problem getting bigger.\u201d<\/li>
  8. Cryptojacking Malware.<\/strong> Cybercriminals use cryptojacking malware to mine cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. They create a network of infected computers that run mining programs in the background without the user\u2019s knowledge. As a result, the performance and processing capabilities of the victims\u2019 devices will decrease drastically.<\/li>
  9. Rootkits. <\/strong>A rootkit is a remote access tool (RAT), often malicious, that provides an attacker with remote administrative access to a target\u2019s device, network, or other IT resources. The criminals can use this access to change or even pull down the infected website.<\/li>
  10. Botnet malware.<\/strong> Cybercriminals sometimes infect the computer, not for the data stored on that computer but to use it as a puppet to commit some other crime. They build armies of such computers referred to as bots or zombies. These armies work for the criminals per se, or the criminals rent it to others to use maliciously. The bots or the zombie computers are unaware of them being used maliciously.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How to Prevent Malware Attacks \u2014 7 Things You Should Start Doing Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Understanding how to stop malware attacks is critical to your organization\u2019s security and sensitive data. Preventing a malware attack boils down to having the processes, policies, and IT security tools in place to prevent them from occurring. However, it also required training your end-users to recognize and respond to common methods cybercriminals use to spread malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Use Network and Endpoint Security Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"An<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    First on our list of how to prevent malware attacks: use the right tools. Your IT experts should look into every possible route through which a criminal can use malware attacks against your organization\u2019s devices and network. Using a combination of endpoint and network security protection tools is the answer to preventing many malware-related security woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Install Antivirus or Anti-Malware Software<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Antivirus and anti-malware tools are useful for identifying and protecting your endpoint devices or larger network against many traditional and new malware-related threats. And it\u2019s easy to see why such tools are necessary considering that Kaspersky<\/a> detected an average of 360,000 new malicious files every day in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Different antivirus and anti-malware tools offer varying levels of protection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n