A computer virus is a type of

malicious code or program written

to alter the way a computer
operates and is designed to
spread from one computer to
another.
A virus operates by inserting or attaching
itself to a legitimate program or document
that supports macros in order to execute
its code.
In the process, a virus has the potential to
cause unexpected or damaging effects,
such as harming the system software by
corrupting or destroying data.
macros –code that will automate frequently used or repetitive sequences of keystrokes and mouse movements
A computer virus, much like a flu virus, is
designed to spread from host to host and has
the ability to replicate itself.

Similarly, in the same way that flu viruses

cannot reproduce without a host cell,
computer viruses cannot reproduce and
spread without programming such as a file or
document.
 What do virus do ?

Some computer viruses are programmed

to harm your computer by damaging
programs, deleting files, or reformatting the
hard drive. Others simply replicate
themselves or flood a network with traffic,
making it impossible to perform any internet
activity.
GameOver Zeus

Game Over Zeus, or GOZ, spread via a

malicious spam and phishing campaign that sent out e-mails appearing to
come from reputable organizations such as the Federal Reserve Bank, the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the National Automated
Clearing House Association (NACHA).
A link in these e-mails, if clicked upon, would open a fraudulent website
where the GOZ malware would then be downloaded and run on the system,
subsequently opening the infected computer for financial information and
login credentials to be obtained.
 Types of Computer Virus

 Boot sector virus

Program affecting virus
Macro virus

if you execute a set of commands often in MS Excel or

MS Word, you can save that commands as a macro.
How Virus Enters Your computer
Once a virus has successfully attached to a program, file, or document, the virus
will lie inactive until circumstances cause the computer or device to execute its
code. In order for a virus to infect your computer, you have to run the infected
program, which in turn causes the virus code to be executed.

This means that a virus can remain dormant on your computer, without showing
major signs or symptoms. However, once the virus infects your computer, the virus
can infect other computers on the same network. Stealing passwords or data,
logging keystrokes, corrupting files, spamming your email contacts, and even
taking over your machine are just some of the devastating and irritating things a
virus can do.
Viruses can be spread through email and text

message attachments, Internet file downloads

,social media scam links or through CD or Pendrive.

Your mobile devices and smartphones can become

infected with mobile viruses through fishy app

downloads.

Viruses can hide disguised as attachments of

socially shareable content such as funny images,

greeting cards, or audio and video files.

Harms Caused by Computer Virus
Harm caused by computer
virus
•Frequent pop-up windows.
• Pop-ups might encourage you to visit unusual sites. Or they might prompt
you to download antivirus or other software programs.

Mass emails being sent from your email account.

A criminal may take control of your account or send emails in your name
from another infected computer.

•Frequent crashes. A virus can cause major damage on your hard drive.
This may cause your device to freeze or crash. It may also prevent your
device from coming back on.
Harm caused by computer
virus
•Unusually slow computer performance. A sudden change of processing speed could
signal that your computer has a virus.

•Unknown programs that start up when you turn on your computer. You may
become aware of the unfamiliar program when you start your computer. Or you might
notice it by checking your computer’s list of active applications.

•Unusual activities like password changes. This could prevent you from logging
into your computer.
 What is malware ?
“Malware” is short for “malicious software” - computer programs
designed to infiltrate and damage computers without the users
consent. “Malware” is the general term covering all the different types
of threats to your computer safety such
as viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, rootkits and so on.

Different types of malware

The term malware includes viruses, worms, Trojan
Horses, rootkits, spyware, ransomeware ,backdoor and more.
 Worms

A computer worm is a type of malware that spreads copies of itself from

computer to computer. A worm can replicate itself without any human
interaction, and it does not need to attach itself to a software program in
order to cause damage.
computer worms could arrive as attachments in spam emails
Once opened, these files could provide a link to a
malicious website or automatically download the computer
worm. Once it’s installed, the worm silently goes to work
and infects the machine without the user’s knowledge.

Worms can modify and delete files, and they can even
inject additional malicious software onto a computer.
Sometimes a computer worm’s purpose is only to
make copies of itself over and over — depleting
system resources, such as hard drive space or
bandwidth, by overloading a shared network.
  Trojan Horse

Trojan Horses are harmful pieces of software

pretending to be useful applications. Users
therefore download them thinking they will get
a useful piece of software and instead end up
with a malware infected computer.

Trojan viruses often are spread via an infected email attachment or a download
that hides in free games, applications, movies or greeting cards.
Once installed ,a trojan can perform the action it was designed for-it
can be

•give the attacker backdoor control over the computing device;

•record keyboard strokes to steal the user's account data and browsing history;
•download and install a virus or worm .
•install ransomware to encrypt the user's data and extort money for the
decryption key;
•activate the computing device's camera and recording capabilities;
•turn the computer into a zombie computer that can be used to carry out illegal
actions;
 Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that tries to keep
itself hidden while it secretly records
information and tracks your online activities on
your computers or mobile devices.
It can monitor and copy everything you enter,
upload, download, and store.
Some strains of spyware are also capable of
activating cameras and microphones to watch
and listen to you undetected.
 Ransomware
Ransomware ia a form of malicious software that
Locks and encrypt a victim’s computer or device
data, then demand a ransom to restore access.

Ransomware holds your personal files hostage,

keeping you from your documents, photos, and
financial information. Those files are still on your
computer, but the malware has encrypted your
device, making the data stored on your computer
or mobile device inaccessible.

The victim must pay the cybercriminal within a

set amount of time or risk losing access forever.
Types of Ransomware

 Crypto – Ransomware: encrypts the important files

on the computer so that user cannot access them.

 Locker Ransomware : Locks the computer or device

  Rootkits
Rootkits are a type of malware that can remain hidden on
your computer. But while you might not notice them, they
are active. Rootkits give cybercriminals the ability to
remotely control your computer
Rootkits can contain a number of tools, ranging
from programs that allow hackers to steal your
passwords to modules that make it easy for them
to steal your credit card or online banking
information. Rootkits can also give hackers the
ability to disable security software
 Rootkits can hide keyloggers, which capture your keystrokes
without your consent. This makes it easy for cybercriminals to
steal your personal information, such as credit card or online
banking details. Rootkits can allow hackers to use your
computer to launch DDoS attacks or send out spam emails.
They can even disable or remove security software.

Keylogger is a type of surveillance technology used to monitor and record each

keystroke typed on a specific computer's keyboard.

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to make an online service unavailable to users, usually by temporarily interrupting or
suspending the services of its hosting server.
 backdoor
A backdoor attack is a type of malware that gives
cybercriminals unauthorized access to a website.
Cybercriminals install the malware through unsecured points
of entry, such as outdated plug-ins or input fields. Once they
enter through the back door, they have access to all your
company’s data, including customers’ personal identifiable
information
Antivirus
Antivirus software is a program or set of programs that are
designed to prevent, search for, detect, and remove
software viruses, and other malicious software like worms,
trojans, adware, and more.
What Does AntiVirus Software Do?

Several different companies build antivirus software and what each offer can vary but all perform some
essential functions:

•Scan specific files or directories for any malware or known malicious patterns

•Allow you to schedule scans to automatically run for you

•Allow you to initiate a scan of a particular file or your entire computer, or of a CD or flash drive at any time.

•Remove any malicious code detected –sometimes you will be notified of an infection and asked if you want

to clean the file, other programs will automatically do this behind the scenes.

•Show you the ‘health’ of your computer

An antivirus software works by scanning incoming files or code that's being passed
through your network traffic. Companies who build this software compile an extensive
database of already known viruses and malware and teach the software how to detect, flag,
and remove them
 Firewall
A firewall is a security device — computer hardware or
software — that can help protect your network by filtering
traffic and blocking outsiders from gaining unauthorized
access to the private data on your computer.
Not only does a firewall block unwanted traffic, it can also
help block malicious software from infecting your
computer.
What does a firewall do?

A firewall acts as a barrier or filter between your computer

and another network such as the internet. You could think
of a firewall as a traffic controller. It helps to protect your
network and information by managing your network traffic.
This includes blocking unsolicited incoming network traffic
and validating access by assessing network traffic for
anything malicious like hackers and malware.
How does a firewall work?

A firewalled system analyzes network traffic based on

rules. A firewall only welcomes those incoming
connections that it has been configured to accept. It does
this by allowing or blocking specific data packets —
units of communication you send over digital networks —
based on pre-established security rules.