Cyber Attack Number 7/15: Malware Attacks

Malware stands for Malicious Software. Essentially any nasty software that has usually been inadvertently installed on a computer.

Most of you know what a virus is. A virus is also malware, but not all malware are viruses.

Example: You receive an energy bill from your energy provider via email. Only it's not from your provider, and the attached file, usually a zip file, contains malware. Once you run it, your computer is infected.

Risk Mitigation: Having an antivirus is not a fool proof defence. A good AV software might have a detection rate of over 90%, but that is only for know threats. For new threats, or zero day threats, that have just been released, AV software often has little to no defence. Whilst it's still important to have AV, a good email security filter is also recommended.

Also important is keeping your software updated. Having up to date software can lower your risk of know malware infection by as much as 80-90%.

Finally, there is no substitute for user awareness and education. It's good to be suspicious of all emails. When in doubt, ask.

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