What's the Difference: Computer Virus vs Malware, vs Spyware, etc?

Summary

This video script delves into the nuances of various types of malware, clarifying that computer viruses, worms, spyware, and trojans, while often used interchangeably, are distinct in their mechanisms of infection and impact. It explains how viruses require user execution to replicate, worms spread autonomously, and trojans disguise themselves as benign programs. The script also covers other malware categories like spyware, adware, scareware, ransomware, and rootkits, emphasizing the importance of keeping systems updated, regularly backing up data, and utilizing reliable antivirus software to safeguard against these digital threats.

Takeaways

• 🛡️ Malware is an umbrella term for any type of malicious software that harms a computer.
• 💾 A computer virus replicates itself by modifying files and requires user execution to spread.
• 🔄 A computer worm self-replicates and spreads automatically without user intervention, exploiting system vulnerabilities.
• 🐴 Trojans misrepresent themselves as benign programs but perform malicious activities in the background.
• 👁️ Spyware collects information from the computer without user permission, often for malicious purposes.
• 📢 Adware injects advertisements into the user’s browsing experience, sometimes through spyware.
• 😱 Scareware frightens users into taking actions like paying money, often by threatening them with false consequences.
• 💰 Ransomware holds the computer or files hostage, demanding payment for their release or decryption.
• 🔍 Rootkits gain elevated privileges, giving them deep control over the system, making them difficult to detect and remove.
• 🔧 Protecting against malware involves keeping the operating system and software up to date, backing up data, and using reliable antivirus software.

Q & A

What is the general term for all types of malicious software?

The general term for all types of malicious software is 'malware'. It is an all-encompassing term that includes any software designed to harm a computer.

What differentiates a computer virus from other types of malware?

A computer virus is a type of malware that replicates itself by modifying files of other programs, including the operating system, and requires user execution to become active.

How does a computer worm differ from a virus in terms of replication and spread?

A computer worm differs from a virus in that it can spread automatically without user intervention, often exploiting vulnerabilities in the operating system to infect other computers on a network.

What is a Trojan, and how does it typically mislead users?

A Trojan, or Trojan horse, is a type of malware that misrepresents itself as a benign program. It tricks users into installing it under the guise of legitimate software, but in reality, it performs malicious actions in the background.

What is the primary goal of most malware?

The primary goal of most malware is to make money illegally for the creator, often through methods such as stealing personal information, taking control of a computer's resources, or encrypting files for ransom.

What is the role of a payload in malware, and is it always present?

A payload in malware is the part of the software that performs the actual malicious actions, such as spying, damaging the computer, or encrypting files. It is not always present; for example, many worms spread for the sake of spreading without a specific payload.

What is spyware, and how does it operate?

Spyware is a type of malware that spies on users by collecting information from the computer and sending it elsewhere without the user's consent. It can operate through keylogging, monitoring web traffic, or injecting advertisements.

What is scareware, and how does it attempt to manipulate users?

Scareware is a type of malware that uses scare tactics to manipulate users into taking actions such as paying money or downloading software. It often presents false warnings or threats to coerce users into compliance.

How does ransomware differ from scareware, and what is its primary method of coercion?

Ransomware is a form of scareware that holds the user's computer or files hostage, typically by encrypting files, and demands payment for their release. Its primary method of coercion is the threat of permanent data loss if the ransom is not paid.

What is a rootkit, and why is it particularly difficult to remove?

A rootkit is a type of malware that gains elevated or administrative privileges on a computer, allowing it to take deep control over the system, including the ability to hide itself from detection. It is difficult to remove because it can control or subvert the very tools meant to remove it, such as antivirus programs.

What are three key measures that individuals can take to protect themselves from malware?

Three key measures for protection against malware include keeping the operating system and software up to date, regularly backing up data to an external source, and using a reputable antivirus program with internet security features.

Outlines

00:00

🔒 Malware Basics: Understanding Viruses, Worms, and Trojans

This paragraph introduces the concept of malware, explaining that it's an umbrella term for malicious software designed to harm computers. It clarifies that while 'computer virus' is a commonly used term, it's not the most prevalent type of malware. A virus is defined as malicious software that replicates by modifying files, requiring user execution to spread. The paragraph also distinguishes between viruses and worms, noting that worms can propagate without user intervention by exploiting system vulnerabilities. The explanation includes how these threats can infiltrate systems, for instance, through email or file sharing services, and emphasizes the importance of understanding these differences for better computer protection.

05:00

🛡️ Protecting Your System: The Role of Updates and Antivirus

This section delves into the importance of keeping operating systems updated to protect against malware like worms, which exploit outdated software vulnerabilities. It also covers the different types of malware that do not self-replicate but can be equally destructive, such as Trojans, which disguise themselves as benign programs to trick users into installing them. The paragraph discusses various categories of malware, including spyware, adware, scareware, and ransomware, each with unique methods of operation and payloads. It highlights the significance of using antivirus software with internet security features to prevent infection and suggests keeping backups of data to safeguard against ransomware attacks.

10:01

🚨 Advanced Threats: The Dangers of Rootkits and Best Practices

The final paragraph focuses on rootkits, a type of malware that gains deep control over a computer by obtaining administrative privileges. Rootkits can be challenging to detect and remove due to their ability to hide themselves within the system. The paragraph advises on best practices for protection against all types of malware, including keeping software updated, regularly backing up data, and using comprehensive antivirus solutions. It also recommends considering reputable antivirus options and emphasizes the importance of understanding malware behaviors to better defend against them.

Keywords

💡Malware

Malware refers to any software that is intended to cause harm to a computer system. It is an overarching term that includes various types of malicious programs. In the video, malware is the central theme as it encompasses computer viruses, worms, spyware, and other harmful software. The script explains that all the specific types discussed can be considered as subtypes of malware, highlighting its significance in understanding the broader category of threats to computer systems.

💡Computer Virus

A computer virus is a type of malware that replicates itself by modifying other files or programs, including the operating system, to include its own code. The script uses the analogy of a biological virus to explain how a computer virus spreads, requiring user execution to become active and then propagating by modifying other files. The video emphasizes that viruses are not the most common type of malware but are often the most well-known due to their ability to replicate and spread once activated.

💡Worm

A worm is a self-replicating malware that can spread across networks without the need for user interaction. Unlike a virus, which requires a host program to execute, a worm can propagate on its own by exploiting vulnerabilities in operating systems. The script illustrates this by explaining how worms can scan and infect other computers on a network automatically, using the example of a worm that uses an OS exploit to download and run itself without user intervention.

💡Trojan

A Trojan, short for Trojan horse, is a type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into installing it. The script clarifies that Trojans do not replicate like viruses or worms but instead perform malicious actions in the background after being installed. Examples given in the video include fake antivirus programs that pretend to find infections to scare users into paying for a premium service.

💡Spyware

Spyware is a form of malware designed to collect information from the infected computer and send it to a third party without the user's consent. The script explains that spyware can include keyloggers that record keystrokes to steal sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers. It is related to the video's theme by illustrating how different types of malware can invade user privacy and compromise security.

💡Adware

Adware is a type of malware that displays unwanted advertisements on a user's computer. The script mentions adware in the context of spyware, explaining that adware can inject advertisements into web traffic or replace links with affiliate ads. This keyword is relevant to the video's theme as it represents another way in which malware can be used to generate revenue for its creators at the expense of user experience and security.

💡ScareWare

ScareWare is a category of malware that uses fear tactics to manipulate users into taking certain actions, such as paying a fine or purchasing a premium service. The script provides examples of scareware, such as fake FBI warnings or IRS threats, that aim to scare users into compliance. This concept is integral to the video's message about the deceptive tactics used by some types of malware.

💡Ransomware

Ransomware is a specific type of scareware that encrypts a user's files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. The script differentiates ransomware from other scareware by its potential to cause real damage, as it can permanently lock users out of their files if the ransom is not paid. This keyword is central to the video's discussion on the severe consequences of certain types of malware.

💡Rootkit

A rootkit is a type of malware that gains deep control over a computer by obtaining administrative or root-level access. The script explains that rootkits can hide themselves from detection by manipulating the operating system at its core, making them extremely difficult to remove. The video uses the concept of a rootkit to illustrate the most invasive and dangerous types of malware that can control and hide within the system.

💡Antivirus

Antivirus software is a program designed to detect, prevent, and remove malware from a computer system. The script recommends the use of antivirus software as a key defense against various types of malware, mentioning features like internet security and anti-ransomware capabilities. The video positions antivirus software as a crucial tool in protecting against the threats discussed throughout the script.

💡Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the context of the script refers to a weakness in a computer system or software that can be exploited by malware to infect or control the system. The video explains how worms, rootkits, and other types of malware often use vulnerabilities to propagate or gain control, emphasizing the importance of keeping systems updated to protect against known vulnerabilities.

Highlights

Malware is an all-encompassing term for any software that does harm to a computer, and includes various subgroups.

A computer virus replicates itself by modifying files for other programs, including the operating system, to execute its code.

Virus requires user execution to become active and then replicates, often spreading through emails or file sharing services.

A computer worm self-replicates and spreads automatically without user intervention, exploiting vulnerabilities in operating systems.

Worms can infect an entire network by scanning for computers with the same vulnerability and infecting them automatically.

Trojans, or Trojan horses, misrepresent themselves as benign programs but perform malicious actions in the background.

Trojans are the most common type of malware and can trick users into installing them under the guise of legitimate software.

Spyware collects information from the computer and sends it elsewhere without the user's permission, often through keylogging or monitoring web traffic.

Adware is a type of malware that adds unwanted advertisements to a user's computer, potentially through injected affiliate links.

ScareWare tricks users into taking action, such as paying money, by using fear or threats, like fake FBI warnings or virus alerts.

Ransomware is a form of scareware that encrypts user files and demands payment for decryption, with the threat of data loss.

Rootkits gain deep control over the computer, allowing them to hide themselves effectively and resist removal by antivirus programs.

Keeping the operating system and software up to date is crucial for protecting against malware exploits and vulnerabilities.

Backing up data regularly can safeguard against data loss in the event of a ransomware attack or other malware damage.

Using antivirus software with internet security features can prevent malware from reaching the computer and block ransomware activities.

Bitdefender and ESET NOD32 are recommended antivirus options, with the suggestion to research the best antivirus for the current year.

The video concludes with a reminder of the importance of understanding different types of malware to better defend against them.

Transcripts

computer viruses malware spyware trojans

worms are all these terms referring to

the same thing and the answer is

technically no they are different and

we're going to go over what these

differences are whether it's how they

spread or what these things do to your

computer so maybe it's just out of

curiosity or it can help you protect

your computer going forward the first

term we can go over is pretty simple

which is malware and this refers to any

and all kinds of malicious software it's

an all-encompassing term for any type of

software that does harm to a computer

and all the terms we're going to be

talking about in this video could be

considered malware it's like an umbrella

term but there are lots of subgroups so

we're going to go over the different

categories and types of malware there

aren't really too many but when it comes

down to it all malware usually has the

same goal which is to make money

illegally for the creator of the malware

the first term we can talk about is a

computer virus which is usually the term

that most people use all the time but

it's not actually the most common type

of malware we'll get to that in a bit

but regardless a computer virus is

basically the name for malicious

software that when executed replicates

itself by modifying files for other

programs and possibly including the

operating system itself so that way

because these files are modified to now

include the virus whenever that program

or the operating system is started then

it will also run the virus code and this

could be for any number of reasons

stealing personal information taking

control of the computer and using its

computer power or storage for something

that the author of the virus wanted lots

of typical virus stuff you can imagine

but really the main differentiator for a

virus is that it remains dormant until

it's actually run by the user and then

when it is it replicates itself in some

way and this file may come in the form

of an exe file which is executed

directly or perhaps it's embedded in a

macro in a microsoft word document or

something like that so when you run the

program microsoft word it exploits that

and executes and then embeds itself in

the rest of the computer that way so

again downloading the file is not enough

to infect your computer but once you do

run it presumably thinking it's

something else then it does its virus

thing and it may spread itself by

sending out an email to all your

contacts the same way it was infecting

you that way perhaps or maybe it puts

itself in the upload folder for

bittorrent so then it also uploads

itself to

the file sharing service so other people

will download it something like that so

really the term virus has two qualities

it describes how it's spread which is

itself replicates and it's also run

manually by a user now the next term

might seem a bit similar and that is a

computer worm so this also self

replicates but it also has a very

important difference in that unlike a

virus which needs to be manually run by

user a computer worm can spread itself

automatically without user intervention

so this means it doesn't need a host

program to run like ms word or the exe

file that you need to run it can do this

automatically it basically scans for

other computers on the network that it

can infect and then it does so

automatically if it's able to of course

a worm will probably also have the

ability to be run manually by user and

infect computers that way that might be

how it initially gets started within a

network and then spreads automatically

from there from that first person doing

it and worms actually spread using

vulnerabilities and exploits of

operating systems themselves to infect

all the computers in a network so once

one computer is infected it scans like i

said all the other computers on network

sees if any other computers have that

same vulnerability and then infects them

automatically without any user

transferring files or anything like that

it all happens automatically in the

background from the virus itself and if

you're wondering wait a minute how can

the

worm spread to other computers if the

user isn't actually even running it well

it shouldn't be able to and that's why

it is an exploit of a vulnerability the

operating system is not designed to work

like that but for whatever reason the

worm is able to trick the operating

system in not only downloading that file

and downloading the worm but also

running it with zero user intervention

because of that exploit now again the

term worm only describes the software

based on how it spreads and replicates

it doesn't actually say or define what

it does once it does infect things in

fact apparently most computer worms

don't actually contain a so-called

payload which is like side code that

will do virus stuff that you typically

think of like spying on it or damaging

the computer so it might just spread

just for the heck of spreading but that

doesn't mean that it won't harm the

network it still uses up cpu power and

bandwidth and stuff like that but if it

does happen to have a payload it could

do any number of things that you

typically associate with malware such as

encrypting files for ransomware spying

and stealing credit card information or

even installing a so-called back door

which might allow the computer to be

controlled by the creator of the worm

and then added into a botnet to do all

sorts of malicious things as a group

with other computers and worms are just

one more example of why you need to keep

your operating system up to date because

that's just one example of software that

can take advantage of exploits in your

operating system usually older versions

after they've been discovered and people

don't update and it's a hacker's dream

to be able to take advantage of these

things and really it's so easy to avoid

just keep your software up to date so

both viruses and worms spread themselves

and replicate themselves in one way or

another whether it's manually by user or

automatically through a worm but there

are plenty of other types of malware

that don't replicate themselves but are

just as destructive so the next type we

can mention are trojans or trojan horses

which is a type of malware that

misrepresents itself as a normal or

benign program but really it in the

background will be doing malicious

things so it basically tricks the user

into installing it because it thinks

it's something else it thinks it's

something legitimate and typically

trojans are the most common type of

malware out there and they may actually

look like real programs they may run

they may do their intended purpose like

if it's a calculator app or something it

might actually be able to calculate

things and look like a calculator but

it's main purpose is to get you to

download it thinking it's just a

calculator and then it does all this

other stuff behind the scenes without

you knowing another really common

example are fake antivirus programs that

tell you oh look how many computer

viruses and infections we found you

better buy our premium package to remove

all these when in reality that antivirus

program itself is the virus it's fake

and these trojans can be spread in any

number of ways that you can imagine such

as spam email attachments that come out

of the blue they might be fake

advertisements or through social media

stuff like that but again the main

differentiator between a trojan and say

a virus is that a trojan doesn't inject

itself into other files of other

programs and doesn't replicate itself

and send it to other people or anything

like that if it did it would be

considered a virus so those three

categories viruses worms and trojans

typically describe the way that the

malware spreads but they don't talk

about how much or necessarily what

damage they do once they do infect and

there are categories for that that we

can talk about next the first of these

is spyware which just like the name

suggests is software or malware that

spies on you or collects information

from the computer and then sends it

somewhere else now technically spyware

could include programs that aren't even

illegal like you do give them permission

to spy on you and collect information

but usually the vast majority of the

time when someone says spyware they're

referring to malware that did not get

your permission to collect any

information at all and it is malicious

and spyware could come in lots of

different flavors it could be a key

logger which literally collects every

single letter that you type in hoping to

collect passwords or credit card numbers

or bank accounts and stuff like that it

may also monitor what you're doing

online and what monitoring your web

traffic to be able to inject things into

it such as advertisements or maybe

replacing links with affiliate links or

advertisements to websites that it

wasn't necessarily going to direct to

and usually malware that adds

advertisements to your computer in one

way or another is typically referred to

as adware so it may be that some of the

malware that we talk about in this video

may actually fall under multiple

categories another couple big categories

are scareware and ransomware ransomware

may be considered a subcategory of

scareware we'll get to that but

scareware is typically some sort of

malware that tricks a user into paying

money or doing something by scaring them

or threatening them so one example might

be a virus or a trojan or whatever that

pops up on the screen a big thing that

says you're being arrested by the fbi

unless you pay up this money as a fine

or something like that it scares you

like oh my god i don't want to get

arrested and then some people might

actually pay or a lot like those irs

scams that you get on the phone it might

be something similar on the computer it

says if you don't send this much bitcoin

to this address then the irs is going to

arrest you and you're going to go to

jail but it doesn't necessarily have to

threaten you it could be again just to

scare you a lot of advertisements for

example that are kind of sketchy you've

probably seen them it says your computer

is infected with so many viruses click

here to clean your computer and all that

sort of thing obviously it doesn't know

if your computer is infected or not it's

just trying to scare you into doing it

and that would be scareware now

ransomware is a form of scareware that

will typically hold your computer

hostage in one way or another until you

usually pay some sort of amount of money

sometimes ransomware may just be kind of

bluffing and it only locks your computer

in a way that's pretty easy to reverse

if you know what you're doing and it

doesn't actually affect any of your

files but other times ransomware does

have teeth and it actually will encrypt

your files for example and it says if

you don't pay us this amount of money

within this amount of time we're going

to destroy the decryption key and your

files will actually be gone and the

reason they do this is because if people

know that their software out there that

this one isn't bluffing then they're a

lot more likely to pay up to get their

files back if they haven't backed up for

example all right now the final type of

malware we're going to talk about in

this video at least is root kits and

root kits usually take over the computer

by gaining elevated privileges or

administrative

privileges and the name rootkit comes

from the term root privileges which just

means something that has control over

the deepest most secure parts of the

operating system and because this type

of malware does have such deep control

over the computer it can hide itself

very well it literally has control over

everything it can even hide itself by

not even including itself in the list of

processes like in the task manager or

something like that complete control and

this obviously means it's going to be

very very hard to remove if not

impossible because it will even have

control over the programs that are meant

to remove it such as anti-virus programs

it could prevent you from installing

anti-virus programs it can stop those

anti-virus programs from running stuff

like that so a lot of times especially

if the root kit is embedded in the

kernel which is the core of the

operating system usually if you get a

root kit the best thing is to just

completely wipe the drive and reinstall

the operating system from scratch

because you don't know if you actually

removed everything and if it's actually

still hiding and waiting to reinstall

itself later and rootkits usually are

able to install themselves using

operating system vulnerabilities and

exploits like we kind of talked about

before or stealing admin credentials or

using credentials it found to then take

over now at this point you might be

worried you're like oh how do i protect

myself and there's really three things

you can do that will almost certainly

protect you 99 of the time and the first

of these is to of course keep your

operating system and software up to date

i've said this so many times do not skip

windows updates update as soon as you

get the ability to and that way if you

get like a zero day vulnerability which

is something that was just discovered

and released immediately to the public

and hackers will be jumping on that to

try and get people who don't update

right away so keep stuff up to date and

you'll be protected from any exploits

the next thing which is really important

i've said this before again is to back

up your data have backup copies of your

data

hopefully on a external hard drive that

is not connected to the computer so a

ransomware can't encrypt the backup as

well or using something like cloud

backup that is off site this way if you

do get malware that harms your files or

does something else to your computer

that requires a reinstallation of your

os it'll be way easier to recover them

especially in the case of ransomware and

finally the third major thing is to use

some sort of antivirus i mean it's

better than nothing to have the one

that's built into your computer such as

windows defender whatever it's called

now again better than nothing if you

know you're doing but ideally you use a

type of antivirus that has something

called internet security which usually

kind of scans for things coming across

the network and usually can block things

before they ever even get to your

computer and a lot of these antiviruses

also have anti-ransomware features that

will stop a program from running if it

sees that it's modifying files like

ransomware might do if you're looking

for suggestions for some options for

antiviruses one good option is

bitdefender full disclosure they did

sponsor a previous video of mine but

they're not sponsoring this one there's

no sponsor for this video another good

option is eset knob32 i've used them in

the past haven't had any problems but

really you can just go on google and

search best antivirus current year at

the end of it and look at tests and see

what one is the best for the current

year so hopefully that clears things up

if you didn't know about the differences

between names of other types of malware

now you do and you might have a better

understanding of how certain types of

malware spread so you can better defend

your computer against it you'll kind of

know what you're up against if you guys

want you can keep watching by clicking

some other videos i have on here and on

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there something i forgot about we could

talk about that down in the comments so

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time be seeing you