It stands for Malicious Software. Unwanted software that once installed on your computer can take it over and make it unusable by you, but in the meantime it can gain access to your data, take advantage of your hard drive to store files or use your computer and your internet to attack other websites.
Microsoft reported in May of 2011 that 1 in every 14 downloads could contain some type of Malware. Other companies have reported that a lot of malware originates in China. Shaoxing China was named the malware capital of the world in 2010.
The basic method of infection is first, a web site or the server that is hosting the site, is “hacked” or compromised. The machine now has code installed that if it sees certain things when people surf the site, it passes the code to the passer by. If you visit the site, open a certain email, click a movie or link to the latest Kardashian story and your PC is not up to date, your anti-virus is not very good or the code on the site is very fresh, you may “catch” it and get infected.
Now the code is on your computer and infections behave in all sorts of ways! Lately we’re seeing Pay-Ware, it gives you pop-up warnings of impending doom and asks for you to pay $79.00 and they will “save” your PC. Of course once they have your credit card number and your vital information they can run up the card or sit on it and collect the data and use it later when you no longer expect it. And by the way, your PC is still infected. Paying the 79.00 fee does not remove the infection.
While this is popping up on your screen every 6 minutes, the malware is hiding itself by using a Rootkit. A rootkit will hide the malware form your protections. Most malware if found or damaged can reinstall on startup, it looks for the correct files and if it does not find them it reinstalls them. There is also in most malware programs a backdoor. This will bypass the normal security systems and allow for remote access to your PC.
If your home page changes, if you start seeing automatic scanning with reported errors, you have some form of Malware. The first thing to do it disconnect the computer from the internet, power it off and take it in to a professional, make notes for the technician about site history (where you may have encountered the infection), and the resulting behavior. Call us, we can remove the Rootkit and the malware and get up back up and running.