There are two common types of malware (short for malicious software) on today’s computer systems, viruses and worms.

Similar in many ways, both invaders cause network problems and have the ability to spread havoc!

Here we highlight a few characteristics to help you identify what to look out for;

Viruses

A virus is a program designed to execute malicious code.

Similar in principle to a common cold; a virus will attach itself to a ‘host’ in order to spread from one computer to another. The ‘host’ can be anything from a piece of code to an entire program.  Viruses are almost always attached to executable files.

A virus spreads when the ‘host’ it is attached to is transferred from one computer to another.  This happens through various methods including the network, file sharing, USB drives or email attachments.

The effects of a virus can range from simply draining the resources of the computer rendering it useless or more severely, damaging programs or data files!

Worms

A worm is a standalone software designed to cause similar damage to that of a virus.

In contrast to a virus, a worm has no ‘host’ and therefore, is able to spread itself across the network by exploiting vulnerabilities within the targeted system.

More advanced worm applications are able to perform functions such as ransomware, data encryption or even hard drive wipers in order cause damage to the system.

What can I do to stop them?

The best protection against these types of malware is prevention!

• Ensure your anti-virus is updated regularly
• Make sure protection against allowing any malicious code is running on your system.
• Regularly update your operating system – this helps ensure that any known vulnerabilities are fixed before an attacker has the chance to exploit them.

If you suspect your system has been compromised by either one of these types of malware then you should disconnect the infected machines from the network, isolate them, scan with up to date antivirus and attempt to repair any damage caused.