IEEE BYTE VOLUME-3 ISSUE-1 | Page 5

Malware​ ​for​ ​dummies

By​ ​Kamini​ ​Budke, ​ ​SE​ ​EXTC
In​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​your​ ​binge​ ​session, ​ ​a​ ​dialogue​ ​box​ ​pops​ ​up​ ​with​ ​an​ ​ominous​ ​‘ ding’ ​ ​ ​on your​ ​laptop. ​ ​There​ ​are​ ​three​ ​or​ ​four​ ​lines​ ​of​ ​complete​ ​computer​ ​gibberish. ​ ​You​ ​can’ t​ ​close​ ​this dialogue​ ​box. ​ ​You​ ​can’ t​ ​store​ ​your​ ​work​ ​and​ ​restart. ​ ​It’ s​ ​as​ ​if​ ​your​ ​computer​ ​is​ ​mocking​ ​you​ ​by displaying​ ​a​ ​jargon​ ​yet​ ​you​ ​are​ ​left​ ​with​ ​no​ ​choice​ ​but​ ​click​ ​“ okay” ​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end. ​ ​Something​ ​seems to​ ​you​ ​taken​ ​over​ ​the​ ​control​ ​of​ ​your​ ​laptop​ ​and​ ​you​ ​must​ ​surrender​ ​to​ ​its​ ​demands. ​ ​What​ ​is​ ​it though? ​ ​Virus? ​ ​Malware? ​ ​Is​ ​there​ ​even​ ​a​ ​difference? ​ ​Malware, ​ ​as​ ​the​ ​name​ ​suggests, is malicious​ ​software​ ​which​ ​can​ ​harm​ ​your​ ​computer / Device​. ​ ​It​ ​is​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​damage, ​ ​steal, ​ ​or​ ​in general​ ​inflict​ ​some​ ​illegitimate​ ​action​ ​on​ ​data, ​ ​hosts, ​ ​or​ ​networks. ​ ​On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand, ​ ​Viruses are​ ​all​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​class​ ​of​ ​malware. ​ ​Thus, ​ ​it​ ​doesn’ t​ ​make​ ​much​ ​sense​ ​to​ ​differentiate​ ​malware from​ ​a​ ​virus; ​ ​it’ s​ ​like​ ​differentiating​ ​a​ ​pistol​ ​from​ ​a​ ​weapon.
Viruses: ​ ​A​ ​computer​ ​virus​ ​is​ ​a​ ​type​ ​of​ ​malware​ ​that​ ​propagates​ ​by​ ​inserting​ ​a​ ​copy​ ​of itself​ ​into​ ​and​ ​becoming​ ​part​ ​of​ ​another​ ​program.
● Viruses​ ​could​ ​cause​ ​mildly​ ​annoying​ ​effects​ ​like​ ​damaging​ ​data​ ​nevertheless​ ​also serious​ ​like​ ​causing​ ​denial-of-service​ ​( DoS) ​ ​conditions.
● Viruses​ ​are​ ​mostly​ ​attached​ ​to​ ​an​ ​executable​ ​file. ​ ​The​ ​virus​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​active​ ​or​ ​able​ ​to spread​ ​until​ ​a​ ​user​ ​runs​ ​or​ ​opens​ ​the​ ​malicious​ ​host​ ​file​ ​or​ ​program.
You​ ​may​ ​find​ ​change​ ​in​ ​locations​ ​of​ ​certain​ ​files​ ​and​ ​even​ ​complete​ ​loss​ ​of​ ​a​ ​few​ ​others however, ​ ​the​ ​host​ ​program​ ​keeps​ ​functioning​ ​after​ ​it​ ​is​ ​infected​ ​by​ ​the​ ​virus. Worms​: ​ ​Computer​ ​worms, ​ ​alike​ ​viruses, ​ ​replicate​ ​functional​ ​copies​ ​of​ ​themselves​ ​and propagate​ ​to​ ​these​ ​replicas​ ​to​ ​the​ ​computer​ ​base.
● ​ ​A​ ​worm​ ​enters​ ​a​ ​computer​ ​through​ ​a​ ​vulnerability​ ​in​ ​the​ ​system.
● ​ ​In​ ​contrast​ ​to​ ​viruses, ​ ​which​ ​require​ ​the​ ​spreading​ ​of​ ​an​ ​infected​ ​host​ ​file, ​ ​worms​ ​are standalone​ ​software​. ​ ​They​ ​do​ ​not​ ​require​ ​a​ ​host​ ​program​ ​or​ ​human​ ​help​ ​to​ ​propagate.
It​ ​damages​ ​or​ ​stops​ ​computer​ ​functioning​ ​ ​by​ ​multiplying​ ​and​ ​taking​ ​up​ ​all​ ​the​ ​computer memory.