What a day! On that horrible machine, you discovered:
Malware: Malicious code inserted into a system to cause damage or gain unauthorized access to a network
Adware: Unwanted software designed to throw advertisements on your screen
Virus: A malicious self-replacing application that attaches itself to other programs and executables without the permission of the user
Worm: Self-replicating code that copies itself from computer to computer without user intervention
Spyware: Malicious code downloaded without a user’s authorization which is then used to steal sensitive information and relay it to an outside party in a way that harms the original user
Trojan Horse: A type of contained, non-replicating malware that disguises itself as legitimate software in order to allow scammers and hackers access to a user’s system
Rootkit: A collection of malicious programs that secretly provide continued, privileged access to a system for an unauthorized user
Ransomware: Malicious code that will block a user’s access to data or threaten to publish sensitive data until they pay money to the malicious actor
Fileless Malware: A type of malware that ‘lives off the land’ and uses legitimate tools and the user’s operating system to perform malicious activities like privilege escalation, data collection, and more. It’s incredibly hard to detect and almost always missed by antivirus software
What’s Next
While this may seem like a lot, the world of security is full of so many more potential threats! Let’s read some articles and do some research on other attack vectors.