Malware, or malicious software, refers to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive electronic device software including viruses, Trojan horses, worms, rootkits, ransomware, spyware, adware, scareware, backdoors and other intentionally harmful programs. Malware is defined by its malicious intent, acting against the interests of the computer user; it can take the form of executable code, scripts, active content, and other software. Antivirus software and firewalls can be used to help prevent against malicious activity and to recover from attacks.
As malware attacks become more frequent, attention has begun to shift from viruses and spyware protection to malware protection and programs that have been specifically developed to combat malware. Anti-malware programs fight malware in two ways:
Malware has associated with it many risks and dangers including data and identify theft, data loss, operating system and application malfunction and misbehavior, loss of privacy, spying and monitoring, reduction in device performance, increase on device wear and even device damage.
If you feel your device may be compromised with malware, turn off your device and contact IT-SD for a free estimate.