Malware, Virus, Worm, Trojan Horse, Antivirus

Abstract

This paper will consists of three major sections. The first section is an introduction to malware. Malware can consist of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, keyloggers, spyware and adware. This paper will describe each one of these forms of malware and describe the damage each one can have on a computer. The second section will consist of methods that can be taken to combat malware. It is important to know methods of stopping malware before it infects a computer system. For this reasons, proactive recommendations will be mentioned. A computer will never be one-hundred percent secure, so it is important to know what steps to take when it gets infected with malware. It is good to know if whether a computer is indeed infected with malware or if the computer is running slow to do hardware/software issues. A slow running computer is one of the main symptoms that a computer is infected with malware. Finally, this paper will conclude with an overall look at malware.

Keywords: Malware, Virus, Worm, Trojan horse, Antivirus

Introduction/Background

This section will be devoted to the introduction of malicious software, also known as malware. It will give an introduction to what malware is and the different forms it can come in. Due to the fact that malware can come in the form of a virus, worm, Trojan horse, rootkit, keylogger, adware, or spyware, it is important to know exactly what each one of these threats are and what the potential damage each one can cause. This section will define what malware is, the forms it can come in, and the damage that it can do if not addressed quickly.

Everyone who uses a computer has heard the term, malware. According to Goodrich & Tamassia (2010), "Malicious software is software whose existence or execution has negative and unintended consequences" (p. 174). These negative and unintended consequences include backdoors, slowing down the computer, or even stealing confidential information which identity thieves can use to steal on the black market. Another term that is used a lot when a computer is running slow is virus. A virus is computer code that replicates itself by inserting copies of itself into other data files and has the ability to further replicate. Replication is one of two key distinctions that makes a virus differ from other malware. The second key attribute that makes a virus different from other malware is that it requires some type of user assistance for it to start the infection process. There are four phases that take place when a virus is executed. The first phase is known as the dormant phase. In this phase the virus lays on the low and avoids detection. The second phase is the propagation phase. Here, the virus is replicating itself, infecting new files on the system. It is important