Tips to keep yourself safe from malware

Everything that you need to know about malware, they intrude onto devices generally by malicious apps,emails and public Wi-Fi etc.

Malware is an encompassing term for any and each destructive/parasitic software package intentionally designed to elicit harm to your server, Pc, network or phone.

Mischievous software, that are installed on an electronic device unknowingly & performs criminal actions for a 3rd-party, tries to steal personal information or make money off the user. They interfere onto our devices through:

Malicious apps
Spyware
Public Wi-Fi
No proper end to end encryption
Unused or inactive apps
Unused or stolen devices
IoT mobile security
Botnets
Phishing
No proper password protection
Using default passwords.

Spyware or Malware method is generally implemented for ransomware crimes where systems, encrypted from the user-end, exploit them by demanding ransom for decryption keys or else losing of the information is the only possible way. Some name of the malware removal tools are- Malware-Bytes & Hitman-Pro. In case of decryption process, you may find the decryption technique at www.nomoreransom.org.

Types of Malware:

A worm is a harmful program that appears like a real programme & is usually downloaded onto devices unknowingly by users.
A virus is independent & duplicates itself. It contains code that copies itself into another files on the system. Viruses(unwanted code or program) might disguise within the code of actual program.
Moreover A worm is self-replicating but it copies itself into totally different computers within the network.

Different types of spyware

The Trojan phase:- 1st, a user opens an email with the topic line ‘you got a match’. A User downloads the attachment & ‘you got a match’ is definitely an executable file.
The virus phase: This spyware malware gets installed whenever a user clicks/tap on the executable file.
The worm phase: This spyware malware, making it likely every ping a user gets an annoying ad notification instead of a message from a possible date.

New Joker malware attack:

Joker malware has now been reported again after September-2019 with 2-variants in June-2020 : Dropper and Premium Dialer spyware. They have been discovered in Play Store, hiding inside of different legitimate Android apps.

The malware is known for its ability to sneak into a user’s device & ask for contact access & manages to take phone call permissions as well. Joker malware subscribes to paid subscriptions without your permission . It steals your data from SMS or messages & picks up OTP to authenticate payments.

If you are Android phone user, avoid using free apps such as: Scanner,alarm, memory games, cache removers, wall papers, app locks, image converters, Torch Lite, SMS, love messages, translation apps & also check your mobile & credit card bills to check if you have been signed up for any subscriptions & unsubscribe.

Best Tips to be safe :

Update your OS & apps regularly : Update device software as improvements are made to increase security & eliminate weaknesses.
Lock your devices : Your device may contain sensitive business & personal information. So implement fingerprint scanning & facial identification or a 4to6 digit passcode to unlock your device
Use built-in mobile device management features : Implement Find My iPhone & Android’s Find My Device, which will be useful to delete data or information if phone’s lost.
utilize the Wi-Fi & Bluetooth wisely : Free public Wi-Fi connection in areas such as- in cafes, airports,shopping centres, parks or gyms is often very less secure. It’s also a good plan or idea to enable Bluetooth & Wi-Fi only whenever in-use.
Use 2-factor authentication wherever possible : Use 2-factor authentication (2FA), it requires an additional step & this feature can help you be secure from getting compromised.
Manage device app permissions : Revoke permissions when not required such as- access to the microphone, the camera, your contacts & location when not in use. For iPhones, go to Settings and tap on Privacy but for Android users can find app permissions in the Application Manager.
scam emails : We shouldn’t click on links in promotional emails, short links, or open suspicious attachments or run updates that are prompted through any email. Please check the email headers carefully before you respond.
Back up your device data : For an Android phone, make sure “Back up my data” & “Automatic restore” are enabled in the settings & then sync your data with Google, For an Apple iPhone, go the settings & then back up to iCloud
Use an antivirus app : Antivirus apps such as- Avast, McAfee,Norton & ESET can help you to overcome any possible threats
Install apps from known store :Install apps only from App-Store for iPhones & from Play-store for Android Phones