How Do I Protect Myself Against Malware? Antivirus

which is an acronym for the words in English (Malicious us Software) is software used to harm computer users? It works in many different ways, including, for example:

Disable computer operation

 Gather sensitive information

Impersonating the user to send spam or fake messages

Access to private computer systems

The majority of malware is considered a crime and is often used to obtain banking information or login data for email accounts or social media sites. The malware is also used by governments, law enforcement agencies, and even private citizens to avoid encryption and spy on users. Using malware, an opponent can record via webcam and microphone, disable alert settings for some antivirus programs, record keystrokes, copy email and other documents, steal passwords, and more.

How can an adversary use malware target me? 

The best way to deal with a malware attack is to avoid getting infected with it in the first place. But Hamon is difficult if owning your opponent can attack the first day ( by zero Day attacks • ), attacks that exploit gaps previously unknown in computer applications. Imagine your computer is a castle. Day one attack will be a hidden secret entry that you don't know exists, but your opponent has discovered it. You cannot protect yourself against a secret entrance that you do not even know exists. Governments and law enforcement agencies are gathering first-day vulnerabilities to use in targeted malware attacks. Criminals and other actors can also learn about first-day vulnerabilities and use them covertly to install malware on your computer. But day one's vulnerabilities are expensive and reuse expensive (the more you use the secret tunnel to break into the castle, the chances are that others will discover it). Therefore, attackers are likely to try to trick you into installing malware yourself.

There are several ways that attackers can try to trick you into installing malicious programs on your computer. They could try to disguise it as a link to a website, as a document, a PDF, or even as a program designed to protect your device. You may target via email (which may appear to be coming from someone you know), a message on Skype or Twitter, or even a link posted on your Facebook page. The more targeted the attack, the more the attacker will try to make it more tempting for you to download malware.

Ethiopian dissidents, students, and human rights lawyers have also been targeted with spyware disguised as Adobe Flash updates or PDFs with political titles. Also, Tibetan activists were targeted with targeted malware hidden in a PDF file that was maliciously created to appear to have been sent by a Tibetan activist.  

Use anti-virus software  

Anti-virus software can be effective against simple, "unorganized" malware that can be used by criminals against hundreds, even thousands of people. However, antivirus programs are usually ineffective against targeted attacks like the one used by Chinese government hackers to infiltrate the New York Times. The Electronic Frontier Foundation recommends the use of anti-virus software on your computer and smartphone, although we cannot recommend any specific programs as being superior to others.

Beware of suspicious attachments

The best way to avoid getting infected with targeted malware is to avoid opening and installing documents in the first place. People with more computer expertise and technical expertise have a better sense of what malware might and might not be, but targeted attacks can be very convincing.

If you use Gmail, opening the suspicious attachments via Google Drive instead of downloading them may protect your device from infection. Using a less common operating system like Ubuntu, Chrome, or OS significantly improves your chances against the many malware delivery tricks, but it will not protect you against more sophisticated opponents.

Update the software

With the discovery of new weaknesses in the software, companies can fix these problems and provide a solution in the form of software updates, but you will not reap the benefits of their work unless you install the updates on your computer.

  Watch for breakout indicators

Sometimes it is not possible to detect malware using antivirus software, especially if that malware is recent or unknown to the antivirus manufacturers. In that case, you might be able to spot signs of a breach. The penetration indicators are indicators or signs that your computer is infected with malware. For example, you may notice that the light indicating that the webcam is turned on on your computer is on when you are not using it (although advanced malware may be able to stop it). Another example is that Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and Google may issue warnings to their users if they believe your account has been targeted by state-sponsored attackers.

 Other indicators are less clear. You may notice that your email is accessing from an unfamiliar Internet Protocol (IP) address, or that your settings have changed to send copies of all your messages to an unfamiliar email address. If you have the ability to monitor network traffic, timing, and volume of traffic it may indicate a breach. Another warning sign is that you notice that your computer is communicating with a known control and control server,  which are the computers that send commands to devices infected with malware, or those that receive data from infected devices.

What should I do if I find malware on my device? 

If you find malware on your device, disconnect it from the internet and stop using it immediately.

Every keystroke could be sent to an attacker. It is best to take your device to a security expert, who may be able to discover more details about the malware. If you find malicious software, removing it does not guarantee the security of your computer. Some malware gives the attacker the ability to execute random commands on the infected machine; There is no guarantee that the attacker did not install other malware while controlling your machine.

Log in to a computer you think is safe and change your passwords; Every password you wrote on your device while it was infected should be considered hacked.

It is recommended to reinstall the operating system on your device to remove the malware. This will remove most of the malware, but some advanced malware might remain. If you have an idea when your computer was infected, you can reinstall files before that date. Re-install files after the date of injury may cause re-infection of your computer again.