A Computer under a Virus Attack

What Are the Three Most Common Computer Malware?

Malicious programs can damage one’s computer by destroying a part or entire hard drive. These programs are called malware. The most common malware are viruses, worms, and Trojan Horse. Even though people refer to all malware as viruses, there is a difference among these three malicious programs (Greenberg, 2011). They vary in their severity. Some malware can have annoying symptoms, such as causing appearance of silly icons on one’s desktop whereas other malware can seriously damage one’s computer system. These malicious programs are designed to create a tunnel for unauthorized users to control one’s computer remotely (Greenberg, 2011). The most common malicious files’ extensions are .bin, .com, .exe, .vbs, and .drv.

Viruses. A virus is malicious software attached to a program or file spread through e-mails and networks. Virus is mostly attached to an executable file with the .exe extension, which needs a human action to be executed (Greenberg, 2011). If a virus is not executed, it can sit in the computer system with no harm to the victim’s computer. 

Worms. Worms is a kind of malware that spread from computer to computer through networks and emails. In contrast to a virus, a worm is capable of traveling without any human action. This means that a worm can replicate itself into one’s computer system and is capable of sending a copy of itself to everybody listed in the victim’s email address book (Greenberg, 2011). 

Trojan Horse. A Trojan Horse obtained its name from the Greek mythological legend about the Trojan Horse, in which the army was hidden inside the horse. Computer malware Trojan Horse appears as a legitimate program, such as an interesting game or video from a legitimate source. After opening such a file, the Trojan Horse can be extremely destructive, for example, it can cause deleting important files or information from the victim’s hard drive. Additionally, Trojan Horse malware can leave a back door open to allow malicious users access one’s computer and potentially allow stealing one’s identity (Greenberg, 2011).

References

Greenberg, P.. (2011, May). Zombies, Trojan horses and you. State Legislatures, 37(5), 29-30. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from Research Library Core. http://proquest.umi.com.mutex.gmu.edu/pqdweb?index=0&did=2353957781&SrchMode=1&sid=17&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1308810299&clientId=31810. (Document ID: 2353957781).