Malware Prevention Software
Michelle Benitone
Traditional antivirus (AV) solutions are ineffective at preventing malware intrusions. For example, they can be blind to malware in zip format and may fail to catch advanced threats that involve social engineering tactics. Legacy AV solutions may also struggle to accurately detect automated threats that cleverly place malware in email, including phishing, ransomware, spyware, and viruses.
Adhere to policies and best practices for application, system, and appliance security. Create unique passwords at least 16 characters in length and use a password manager. Patch systems quickly as security flaws become well-know once the updates are released.
Taking a layered approach with next-generation endpoint monitoring tools, including AMP for Endpoints, next-generation firewalls (NGFW), and an intrusion prevention system (IPS), will help you deploy security from the endpoint to email to the DNS layer.
Most ransomware infections are spread through an email attachment or malicious download. Diligently block malicious websites, emails, and attachments through a layered security approach and a company-sanctioned file-sharing program.
Closely monitor your network traffic by performing deeper and more advanced analytics to see everything happening across your network. Leverage real-time threat intelligence from organizations such as Talos to better understand security information and emerging cybersecurity threats.
Learn about and consider additional security solutions that will further protect your network as well as expand your company's visibility. Conduct security scanning of microservice, cloud service, and application administration systems.
A zero-trust approach helps secure access from users, end-user devices, APIs, IoT, microservices, containers, and more. It protects your workforce, workloads, and workplace since you must first verify their trustworthiness before granting access.
Featuring exclusive statistics, comprehensive data, and easy to digest threat analysis, the Cybersecurity Threat Trends Report can help you prepare for the cyber attacks of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Malware (malicious software) is an umbrella term used to describe a program or code created to harm a computer, network, or server. Cybercriminals develop malware to infiltrate a computer system discreetly to breach or destroy sensitive data and computer systems. There are many types of malware infections, which make up most of the online threat landscape.
Nobody is safe from the potential of a malware attack. Different hackers using different techniques will be looking to target individuals or organizations of different sizes, industries, and locations.
The key to removing malware from your device is installing and running next-generation antivirus (NGAV) software. Upon detecting malware, NGAV can help identify and remediate malicious artifacts left behind from malicious activity.
Hackers have different goals when performing a malware attack on a system or organization, and it often depends on who is on the receiving end and the type of attack. Some of the most common goals of a malware attack include:
In the years since the Morris Worm debuted, adversaries have applied a great deal of creativity to the concept of malware, coming up with new types of attacks as enterprise technology has evolved. The most common types of malware today are:
There are many important distinctions between malware and viruses. Learn about the characteristics of these two cyber threats, how a user can identify the type of attack, and how to best resolve it. Read: Malware vs Virus
For most businesses, deploying a breach prevention solution or platform that continuously monitors for malware attacks will be the first line of defense. Here are a few more tips to help you and your organization minimize the risks of a malware attack:
The 2024 Global Threat Report unveils an alarming rise in covert activity and a cyber threat landscape dominated by stealth. Data theft, cloud breaches, and malware-free attacks are on the rise. Read about how adversaries continue to adapt despite advancements in detection technology.
Advanced malware protection uses a unique and integrated combination of methods to prevent and detect known malware, unknown malware, and fileless malware. These methods include machine learning, exploit blocking, behavioral analysis, and blacklisting.
The first step to protect against malware attacks is to adopt a proactive approach by following the prevention tips mentioned above. Nevertheless, this is not a perfect world and a breach might still happen.
Kurt Baker is the senior director of product marketing for Falcon Intelligence at CrowdStrike. He has over 25 years of experience in senior leadership positions, specializing in emerging software companies. He has expertise in cyber threat intelligence, security analytics, security management and advanced threat protection. Prior to joining CrowdStrike, Baker worked in technical roles at Tripwire and had co-founded startups in markets ranging from enterprise security solutions to mobile devices. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington and is now based in Boston, Massachusetts.
We'd like to believe the Internet is a safe and honest place for everyone, but there's no denying that online criminals and hackers are lurking out there, trying to stir up trouble. One way they cause trouble is by spreading malware. You can protect yourself by learning what malware is, how it spreads, and how to prevent it.
"Malware" is any kind of software that's designed to harm a computer. Malware can steal sensitive information from your computer, gradually slow down your computer, or even send fake emails from your email account without your knowledge. Here are some common types of malware you might have heard about:
There are a lot of different ways that malware can spread, but that doesn't mean you're powerless to stop it. Now that you know what malware is and what it can do, let's go over some practical steps you can take to protect yourself.
Microsoft and Apple often release updates for their operating systems, and it's a good idea to install these updates when they become available for your Windows and Mac computers. These updates often include fixes that can improve the security of your system. Some operating systems also offer automatic updates, so that you can automatically get updates soon after they're available.
Windows users can install updates using a feature called "Windows Update," while Mac users can install updates using a feature called "Software Update." If you're not familiar with these features, we encourage you to search the Microsoft and Apple websites for more information on how to install system updates on your computer.
In addition to your computer's operating system, your computer's software should also be kept up to date with the latest versions. Newer versions often contain more security fixes to prevent malware attacks.
Most operating systems allow you to create multiple user accounts on your computer, so that different users can have different settings. These user accounts can also be set up to have different security settings.
For example, an "admin" (or "administrator") account usually has the ability to install new software, while "limited" or "standard" accounts usually don't have the ability to do so. When doing day-to-day web browsing, you probably don't need to install new software, so we suggest that you use a "limited" or "standard" user account whenever possible. Doing this can help prevent malware from getting installed on your computer and making system-wide changes.
In the real world, most people would probably be a little suspicious about stepping into a shady-looking building with a sign that says "Free computers!" in flashing lights. On the web, you should adopt a similar level of caution when entering unfamiliar websites that claim to offer free things.
We know it might be tempting to download that free video editing program or role-playing game, but do you really trust the website that's offering it? Sometimes it helps to leave that website and search for reviews or information about that website or program before downloading or installing anything. Downloads are one of the main ways people get malware, so remember to think twice about what you're downloading and where you're downloading it from.
If a random person sends you a box of chocolates in the mail, would you open it and scarf it down without any hesitation? Probably not. Similarly, you should be wary if a random person sends you a suspicious email containing attachments or images. Sometimes, those emails might just be spam, but other times, those emails might secretly contain harmful malware. If you use Gmail, report those emails as spam so that we can better weed out emails like this in the future.
When surfing the web, you might come across sites that show pop-up windows, making you believe your computer has been infected and asking you to download some software in order to protect yourself. Don't fall for this trick. Just close the pop-up window and make sure you don't click inside the pop-up window.
Some sites and applications allow you to easily share files with other users. Many of these sites and applications offer little protection against malware. If you exchange or download files using these file-sharing methods, be on the lookout for malware. Malware can often be disguised as a popular movie, album, game, or program.
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