What Do Viruses and Other Malware Do?
The internet is remarkable, from streamlining our businesses to allowing us to co-work internationally to being the home to some really cute cat videos, but it’s not a place you want to find yourself unprotected. While the internet is full of convenience and opportunity, we’re not the only ones taking advantage of it. According to one report, 560,000 new types of malware are detected every day. The same report says that four companies fall victim to malware for each minute of the day. The most prominent malware threat comes from a Trojan, meaning it’s disguised as something legitimate, but it fooled you.
This is why educating yourself and your team to identify common malware pitfalls is so important. And why cyber security needs to be a top priority for your company. Even big corporations fall victim to cybercriminals, so you must take this seriously.
What is Malware, and What Does It Do?
Malware is a severe threat. It’s software that sneaks into your computer and destroys everything on it. The term malware is short for “malicious software.”
You might think that malware only threatens your computer, but that’s not true. It can also hit your smartphone or tablet. Any device that connects to the internet risks being infected with malware.
Cybercriminals will often use malware to extract data from your computer. Then, they like to use it as ransom to get people to pay them to get the information back. It’s why having a managed security system is so important.
What Are Viruses and What Do They Do?
A computer virus is simply a type of malware that attaches to another program and replicates it after it’s used on a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
Often, computer viruses are spread through email. They typically come in an attachment, and the virus loads onto your computer when you click on the attachment. You won’t even know you did it at first.
As with other malware, viruses can destroy your data and can also slow down your computer. For many people, that might be the first sign something is wrong.
This is a severe threat, especially for businesses that have employees are may not be as computer savvy when it comes to these threats. It’s just too easy for one employee to spread it to another.
What Are the Negative Impacts of Both?
Malware and other computer viruses steal your data, hold it for ransom, slow your computer down, and spread quickly between employee computers. But other harmful things can happen when you are a victim of malware attacks.
Expect Them to Steal Your Information
When you fall victim to malware, your personal and business information is now in the hands of cybercriminals. Sometimes, they won’t hold it for ransom; they’ll sell it to someone else.
They now have your computer browser history, all your passwords, and your client’s information.
It Will Not Be Business As Usual
Don’t expect your employees to be able to go about their jobs as usual. They’re going to run into many detours trying to use their computer, usually in the way of pop-ups. And some cyber criminals like to have a little fun by setting up, so they are constantly redirected to your competition’s site.
What You Need to Do to Protect Your Business
You might not feel like your business can afford the extra expense of hiring IT services, but the truth is, you can’t afford not to. Managing your business’ infrastructure is a full-time job. Let our experts at Intuitive Network do it for you. Our experts are reliable and proactive. You can expect to feel peace of mind knowing they have your back.
