Top 10 Malware Myths and Facts

1. Top 10 Malware Myths and Facts We are always surrounded by modern technology, it is changing the way we use to do things. More and more devices are getting connected and instigating risk to personal data. Just a few decades ago computer virus were considered to be a real threat. But over the years situation has changed they are becoming more and more dangerous and nasty. Viruses, malware, malicious software and other type of infectious codes are literally wreaking havoc across the globe. They can be created by anyone, from an experienced hacker to a novice making them far more dangerous than even guns. Malware is becoming capable of executing itself and creating multiple copies to infect millions of machines. But still there are certain myths about them that needs to be clarified to stay protected. Here we list some of the most common myths and facts that most of us have. Top 10 Malware Myths & Facts Myth 1: Computer security and software update is the same Reality: Most of us have a tendency of ignoring software updates as we think they are unnecessary. But let me tell you they are very important for your computer’s security. Developers release updates to address specific security issue, as an outdated computer is more likely to crash and attacked as opposed to one that has been updated and fully reinforced. People overlooking software-update prompts are the ones who suffer with most of the system crash and attacks. Therefore, to stay protected update your operating system and software installed regularly without any fail. Whenever

2. you receive a notification run an update or you change the system settings to automatically update. This way you can avoid missing any minor or major update. Also Read: How to Remove Malware and Adware from Your Mac Myth 2: You receive notifications if the machine is infected Reality: There is no such concept of getting notification if the machine is infected. Number of studies show that about one third of world’s computer are infected but no one gets to know about it. Even though no one notices as without having enough knowledge a person cannot tell if machine is infected by a malware or adware. Each infection works differently some malware slows down the system and some runs undetected. Therefore, the best way to stay protected is to run regular scans using an update anti-virus , anti-malware software and use malware removal tool. For this purpose, you can try running Systweak Anti Malware on your Mac and Advanced System Protector on your Windows machine. Myth 3: Mac machines are 100% secure Reality: Sometime back individuals use to think Mac machines are secure. But that is not the truth due to Apple’s low market share attackers do not use to create threats targeting mac machine. This made them fly low under the radar but today things have changed. Apple’s market share has grown significantly and so is hacker’s inclination. A recent study shows Mac malware attacks have grown in recent years as compared to 2016. Must Read:How To Remove Malware and Viruses On Your Windows PC Myth 4: Trusted sites are safe Reality: Whenever a cyber-attack is witnessed it always suggested to avoid visiting untrusted sites but no one mentions that a known website can also be infected. There are many examples of the same it happened to Yahoo, The New York Times and other big organizations in recent years. The most common practice adopted by cyber criminals is to place a malicious ad on legitimate sites known as malvertising. As the visitor goes to that website and he views the ad the malware is sent to his computer, even without clicking on the ad all this happens. To shield yourself from it one should disable Adobe Flash Player and other browser plugins. Plus, should run a scan using updated antivirus software. Myth 5: Buying an Antivirus programs makes hole in pocket Reality:This isn’t correct because even without spending a penny one can run antivirus program as there are number of free antivirus software and best anti malware available. You can them to protect both you Windows and Mac machines. These free programs download latest definition updates to protect the machine and add an additional layer of security.

3. Myth 6: Malware is not dangerous if there is no important data on the machine Reality:Malware doesn’t just look for only private information but it even tries to access account information and send out spam to your contacts. Or, it will record your keystrokes to steal credit- card numbers and login information for bank accounts, social-networking platforms and other online accounts. Myth 7: Data can be restored from backup even if hacked Reality: If you think that wiping clean your computer and reinstalling fresh operating system will help you then you are mistaken because if you aren’t careful while taking backup of files then you may restore malware on the fresh machine. As malware can be attached to the backed-up files or can be hidden in the hard drive sectors. Therefore, to stay protected and avoid facing such a situation run a malware scanner or scan using anti-virus and best anti-malware product before taking backup of the date. This will help you stay protected from infections, rootkits and all other threats. Must Read: How To Remove Malware From Your Android Phone Or Tablet Myth 8: If your machine is infected it means you are hacked Reality:Malware infection doesn’t mean that your system is hacked and hacker is trying to access information. Your machine can be infected due to various reasons: 1.By opening a malicious attachment sent in your email 2.If you install any malicious software from the internet 3.Visited an infected web page To learn more about malware and how it works click here Myth 9: Antivirus software can protect from malware infection Reality: Most often people think that an antivirus program alone is sufficient to guard the system. But that is not true as hackers just wait to take advantage of any system vulnerability. Therefore, installing and running an updated malware scanner and best anti-malware software eradicates all the risk and secures the system. Myth 10: Malware can destroy your computer Reality:Malware don’t have the ability to damage the functioning of the system as it is just a piece of malicious code that spreads infections. It doesn’t affect the physical part of the PC. After wiping clean, the system you can easily install a new operating system but make sure that you run a thorough scan on the system before taking any backup and restoring it on the freshly installed operating system.

4. Hope many of your myths are now cleared after knowing the facts. As our ignorance is the main reason of our machine getting infected and data being hacked. Therefore, in order to stay protected once should always try to gain more and more knowledge because if you are educated no one will be able to trap you and make you install any malicious software. Also Read :Top 10 Antivirus For Windows Also, remember no system is 100% secure the thing that makes them secure is our knowledge, security measures and keeping a check on our online activities.