Malware, Trojan, and Spyware
Malware: Malware is short for malicious software, it is a software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.
Viruses: A computer virus is a form of malicious software that piggy backs onto code in order to spread and reproduce itself. It is deployed by an attacker to damage or take control of a computer.
Trojan: A Trojan is a type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software to gain access into the users system.
Spyware: Spyware is software that enables a user to obtain convert information about another’s computer activity by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.
It is recommended that students have an antivirus software to scan their computer once a week and that the software is configured to look for new viruses. There are a list of free and paid antiviruses listed below. Make sure to remove existing antivirus software before installing a new antivirus software. If left it can cause problems with system performance, internet connectivity, and lower the effectiveness of the antivirus protection.
Free
- AVG Antivirus- https://www.avg.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download
- Avira- https://www.avira.com/en/free-antivirus-windows
- Bitdefender- https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html
- Trendmicro- https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/forHome/products/free-tools.html
Paid
- Malwarebytes premium- https://www.malwarebytes.com/premium/
- F-secure- https://www.f-secure.com/us-en/home