Virus. Trojan. Spyware. Malware. If you’ve heard these words, or even used them yourself, you know that they all mean something bad. But just what is the difference between a virus and spyware, or a Trojan and adware? While all of these terms sound like they’re talking about the same thing, they are actually different, more specific terms for the way infections come into your computer and how they act once they get there.
What Is the Difference?
Malware is a portmanteau of the words ‘malicious’ and ‘software,’ and its meaning is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: software that is designed to harm your computer or network, with or without you knowing. Once the malware is on your computer, it can be something as simple as a brief annoyance or something as complicated as an attempted identity theft.
Knowing how malware gets into your computer and what it is designed to do once it gets there can help you learn to avoid future infections from similar types of malicious software.
Virus
How Does It Get In?
Viruses are installed on your computer by way of an already infected file. This file can be a piece of music downloaded or a document that looks like it was sent by your coworker.
What Is It Designed to Do?
Once a virus enters your computer, it acts just like a virus that enters the body; it replicates. After replicating itself, it attempts to infect other computers by way of people downloading infected files from your computer or you sending infected files through emails.
Worm
How Does It Get In?
A worm inserts itself into other computers along the same network without needing an outside source (for example, you) to spread it.
What Is It Designed to Do?
A worm enters a computer network and, much like a virus, replicates itself. However, these additional versions of itself do not just sit on your hard drive waiting for you to transmit the file. Worms actually send themselves to all computers connected to the network.
Spyware
How Does It Get In?
Spyware installs itself either using the virus, Trojan, or worm method.
What Is It Designed to Do?
All malware that collects pieces of information about the computer’s users is known as spyware. These pieces of information can be large or small, but they are always collected without the user’s knowledge.
Adware
How Does It Get In?
Adware installs itself either using the virus, Trojan, or worm method.
What Is It Designed to Do?
Adware, short for advertising software, automatically plays, displays or downloads advertisements onto your computer.
Trojan or Trojan Horse
How Does It Get In?
These are the most malicious types of software when they try to get into your computer. The best way to identify a Trojan is to remember that, much like the myth it is named from, it masquerades as something else when it asks you to download or install it. It can appear as something as harmless as a free program or as something frightening as a security scan.
What Is It Designed to Do?
When installed, Trojans have the capability to monitor where you go and what you do online, including stealing passwords or other important information.
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Can you think of any other types of infections you’ve seen? Let us know!