Virus trojan horse dialer.7.b

Viruses, worms, Trojans, and bots are all part of a class of software called "malware. There are many different classes of malware that have varying ways of infecting systems and propagating themselves.

Malware can infect systems by being bundled with other programs or attached as macros to files. Others are installed by exploiting a known vulnerability in an operating system OS , network device, or other software, such as a hole in a browser that only requires users to visit a website to infect their computers. The vast majority, however, are installed by some action from a user, such as clicking an email attachment or downloading a file from the Internet. Some of the more commonly known types of malware are viruses, worms, Trojans, bots, ransomware, backdoors, spyware, and adware.

In addition to damaging data and software residing on equipment, malware has evolved to target the physical hardware of those systems. Malware should also not be confused with defective software, which is intended for legitimate purposes but contains errors or "bugs. Two of the most common types of malware are viruses and worms.

These types of programs are able to self-replicate and can spread copies of themselves, which might even be modified copies. To be classified as a virus or worm, malware must have the ability to propagate. The difference is that a worm operates more or less independently of other files, whereas a virus depends on a host program to spread itself. These and other classes of malicious software are described below. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.

While some simple ransomware may lock the system in a way that is not difficult for a knowledgeable person to reverse, more advanced malware uses a technique called cryptoviral extortion , which encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. A computer virus is a type of malware that propagates by inserting a copy of itself into and becoming part of another program. It spreads from one computer to another, leaving infections as it travels.

Viruses can range in severity from causing mildly annoying effects to damaging data or software and causing denial-of-service DoS conditions. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file , which means the virus may exist on a system but will not be active or able to spread until a user runs or opens the malicious host file or program.

When the host code is executed, the viral code is executed as well. Normally, the host program keeps functioning after it is infected by the virus. However, some viruses overwrite other programs with copies of themselves, which destroys the host program altogether.

Viruses spread when the software or document they are attached to is transferred from one computer to another using the network, a disk, file sharing, or infected email attachments. Computer worms are similar to viruses in that they replicate functional copies of themselves and can cause the same type of damage. In contrast to viruses, which require the spreading of an infected host file, worms are standalone software and do not require a host program or human help to propagate.

To spread, worms either exploit a vulnerability on the target system or use some kind of social engineering to trick users into executing them. A worm enters a computer through a vulnerability in the system and takes advantage of file-transport or information-transport features on the system, allowing it to travel unaided.

More advanced worms leverage encryption, wipers, and ransomware technologies to harm their targets. A Trojan is another type of malware named after the wooden horse that the Greeks used to infiltrate Troy.

It is a harmful piece of software that looks legitimate. Users are typically tricked into loading and executing it on their systems. After it is activated, it can achieve any number of attacks on the host, from irritating the user popping up windows or changing desktops to damaging the host deleting files, stealing data, or activating and spreading other malware, such as viruses. Trojans are also known to create backdoors to give malicious users access to the system. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate.

Trojans must spread through user interaction such as opening an email attachment or downloading and running a file from the Internet. Bots often automate tasks and provide information or services that would otherwise be conducted by a human being. They may also be used to interact dynamically with websites. Bots can be used for either good or malicious intent. In addition to the worm-like ability to self-propagate, bots can include the ability to log keystrokes, gather passwords, capture and analyze packets, gather financial information, launch Denial of Service DOS Attacks , relay spam, and open backdoors on the infected host.

Bots have all the advantages of worms, but are generally much more versatile in their infection vector and are often modified within hours of publication of a new exploit. They have been known to exploit backdoors opened by worms and viruses, which allows them to access networks that have good perimeter control.

Bots rarely announce their presence with high scan rates that damage network infrastructure; instead, they infect networks in a way that escapes immediate notice. Best of Techopedia weekly. News and Special Offers occasional. Trojan Dialer. Techopedia Explains Trojan Dialer. What Does Trojan Dialer Mean? A trojan dialer is a type of dialer utilized to commit fraud.

It is malicious software in disguise. A Dialer also can cause Internet dumping, which means dropping the normal Internet connection and dialing another number, such as the premium rate or an International Direct Dialing IDD numbers.

Find the right solution for you. Featured Event: RSA Trojans are programs that claim to perform one function but actually do another, typically malicious.

Cybersecurity Basics. Trojan horse — Virus or malware? For Home View all Malwarebytes products. Trojan soldiers watch as the Greeks appear to sail away, leaving behind a giant wooden horse as a token of surrender. Drunk on victory, the Trojans bring the horse inside their walls, only to discover Odysseus and his men were hidden inside the whole time. While technically they are not computer viruses but rather a separate form of malware, "Trojan horse virus" has become a common way to refer to them.

People sometimes think of a Trojan as a virus or a worm, but it is really neither. A virus is a file infector which can self-replicate and spread by attaching itself to another program. Most viruses are now seen as legacy threats. Worms have also become rare, though they do pop up from time to time. Think of Trojans as an umbrella term for malware delivery, because there are various kinds of Trojans. Put another way, a Trojan is a delivery strategy that hackers use to deliver any number of threats, from ransomware that immediately demands money, to spyware that conceals itself while it steals valuable information like personal and financial data.

Keep in mind that adware or PUPs potentially unwanted programs can be confused with Trojans because the delivery method is similar. For example, sometimes adware sneaks onto your computer as part of a bundle of software. The program authors usually include the adware for marketing affiliate reasons so they can monetize their installer with offers—usually clearly labeled.

Such adware bundlers are typically less malicious than Trojans. Also, they do not conceal themselves as Trojans do. But since the adware distribution vector resembles that of a Trojan, it can cause confusion. Trojans can look like just about anything, from free software and music, to browser advertisements to seemingly legitimate apps. Any number of unwise user behaviors can lead to a Trojan infection. Here are a few examples:. It presented itself as a simple game along the lines of twenty questions.

However, behind the scenes, the game copied itself onto shared directories where other users could find it. From there, the game could spread across entire computer networks. For the most part, it was a harmless prank. In the s, another infamous Trojan appeared disguised in the form of a simple Whack-A-Mole game. The program hid a version of NetBus , a program that allows one to remotely control a Microsoft Windows computer system over a network.

With remote access, the attacker could do any number of things to a computer, even open its CD tray. As clever as the worm was from a technical perspective, its use of social engineering was arguably its most ingenious component.

Through the s, Trojan attacks continued to evolve, as did the threats they carried. In , a Windows-based backdoor Trojan horse called Beast emerged and was capable of infecting almost all versions of Windows. Then, in late , another backdoor Trojan called Zlob was distributed disguised as a required video codec in the form of ActiveX.

The s also saw a rise in the number of Mac users, and cybercriminals followed suit. The motivations behind Trojan attacks also began to shift around this time.