Malware

Malicious software is often abbreviated as Malware, it is the term that refers to any harmful program or code that is used in watching and gathering your personal information (spyware) or causing havoc to your computer (viruses).

Here are some types of malware:

Type of Malware	Description
Adware	A type of malware that displays pop-up ads when your computer is connected to the internet.
Ransomware	Is known in encrypting your data and restricting you from accessing it, and displaying a message forcing you to pay in order to access your data. It is also known as CryptoLocker ransomware.
Spyware	Software that is installed on your computer that will attempt to monitor, collect information such as websites visited, logins, system information, etc. and transmits it. It often tries to redirect your web browser to other sites.
Trojans Horse	Is also known as Trojan; it usually attacks the computer’s operating system and creates itself a backdoor so that it can steal your data, install more malware and modify files.
Viruses	Software that can duplicate itself and spread to other computers. They can cause your computer to slow down, crash and often render unusable.

Some guidelines to protect from Malware:

Install anti-virus software (Free Download Symantec Anti-virus for staff and students)
Use genuine software, and download files and software only from reputable websites
Always scan USB drives before accessing its contents, and disable AutoRun on Microsoft Windows operating system, as Malware exploits the AutoRun feature to spread from the USB drive to Computer
If a suspicious website or pop-up prompts you to click ‘Agree’, ‘Ok’ or ‘No’ click the ‘X’ in the corner of the window to close the program
You shouldn’t use an administrator account for daily computing activities; instead use a standard account that cannot install software for added security

IT Security Overview for Staff and Students