Computer threats have been around for decades. In fact, one of the first computer viruses was detected in the early 70s. Technology has come a long way since then, but so have online threats: Spyware, ransomware, virus, trojans, and all types of malware designed to wreak havoc. Here’s how malware works and how you can avoid any harm.

Once created to annoy users by making small changes to their computers, like altering wallpapers, viruses have evolved into a malicious tool used to breach confidential data. Most of the time, they work by attaching themselves to .exe files in order to infect computers once the file has been opened. This can result in various issues with your computer’s operating system, at their worst, rendering your computer unusable.

Another wide-spread malware, Ransomware, has become increasingly common and hostile. It encrypts your computer files and holds them hostage until you’ve paid a fee for the decryption code. Because ransomware comes with sophisticated encryption, there aren’t many options unless you have backups of your data (this method guarantees you will have your data available when you need it). There are both free and paid backup solutions as well as those based on cloud storage.

The abbreviated term for malicious software, “malware,” is a generic term used to describe any type of software or code specifically designed to exploit a computer/mobile device or the data it contains, without consent. Most malware is designed to have some financial gain for the cybercriminal.

byRonald Chen

In order to keep malware at bay, you need to invest in security solutions with real-time protection and apply security best practices within your office. If you have any questions or concerns, or simply need advice on how to strengthen your business’s security, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. The easiest ways to protect your network from viruses, ransomware, worms and other types of malware is to use a firewall to block external access to your computer network and to be careful when clicking on unknown links.

Comments

Catherine Payne

Thank you for such an informative article! It’s useful to know how to protect a corporate or small business network especially when you can’t afford a cybersecurity expert.

Ronald Chen

Catherine Payne

Thank you for your comment! I will publish more tips on cybersecurity and IT as well as some useful tricks for ordinary users so stay tuned!

Philip Bowman

Your tips helped me change my attitude to the way of corporate networks organization and I’m glad I hired one of your experts to take care of my company’s software and hardware.

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