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Got malware? Get rid of it

Each form of malware has its own way of infecting and damaging computers and data, and so each one requires a different malware removal method. To get started, check out our tips for getting rid of viruses and removing malware. 

That said, the best way to stay protected or remove an infection is to use anti-malware software, more commonly called an antivirus. The best malware removal tools are included in the most advanced antivirus, and even free ones like AVG AntiVirus FREE have all you need to stay safe from the most common threats.

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History of adware

In the beginning, meaning from roughly 1995 on, industry experts considered the first ad-supported software to be
part of the larger category of spyware. Soon,
security professionals began to differentiate adware from spyware as a less harmful type of PUPs. They were even
seen as “legitimate,” at least in theory, because legal businesses with actual offices and payrolls
were creating adware software.

But the affiliates to these legitimate businesses often spread their adware without themselves being checked for
legitimacy by the adware vendor. Unchecked, the adware proliferated by every means at their disposal—peer-to-peer
sites, botnets, instant messaging
infections, and the aforementioned browser
hijacks.

With enough time, adware vendors started to shut down their badly behaved affiliates, and issued denials of
responsibility for the affiliate’s actions. This was a common pattern of activity during peak adware years,
which flourished from about 2005 to 2008. After that, governing authorities started to issue large fines for these
offenses, which drove the biggest adware players to pick up their code and leave. More recently, browsers have been
cracking down with adblockers,
and adblock plugins are ubiquitous. Although these measures protect users from adware, they also cause websites to
lose revenue from legitimate ads.

Today, although adware persists, it is usually viewed as a form of PUP, which presents a threat level below the category of malware. Nonetheless, adware remains popular and always charts highly in our analysis of top consumer detections. In the second half of 2018, adware placed second behind banking Trojans (e.g. Emotet) as the number one consumer detection. One reason is, the volume of adware is on the rise, perhaps thanks to proliferation of mobile devices and adware making its way into mobile apps. However, adware makers today are consolidating power. In order to stay afloat, they’re using techniques more aggressive than simply hijacking, including hiding within Trojans, bundling with adfraud components, or demonstrating rootkit capability, making them difficult to remove.

“Adware is now Malwarebyte’s top consumer detection.”

How do I remove spyware?

If your spyware infection is working as designed, it will be invisible unless you’re technically savvy enough to know exactly where to look. You could be infected and never know. But if you suspect spyware, here’s what to do.

1. The first order of business is to make sure your system has been cleaned of any infection so that new passwords are not compromised. Get yourself a robust cybersecurity program with a reputation for aggressive spyware removal technology. Malwarebytes, for example, thoroughly cleans up spyware artifacts and repairs altered files and settings.
2. After you have cleaned your system, think about contacting your financial institutions to warn of potential fraudulent activity. Depending on the compromised information on your infected machine, and especially if it is connected to a business or enterprise, you may be required by law to report breaches to law enforcement and/or make a public disclosure.
3. If stolen information is sensitive in nature or involves the collection and transmission of images, audio, and/or video, you should contact local law-enforcement authorities to report potential violations of federal and state laws.
4. One last thing: Many purveyors of identity theft protection advertise their services to monitor for fraudulent transactions, or to place a freeze on your credit account to prevent any form of activity. Activating a credit freeze is definitely a good idea. If you’re offered free identity theft monitoring as part of the settlement from a data breach, there’s no harm in signing up. However, Malwarebytes advises against purchasing identity theft protection.

“Many purveyors of identity theft protection advertise their services to monitor for fraudulent transactions…”

All about malware

You know how every year the medical community campaigns for everyone to get a flu shot? That’s because flu outbreaks typically have a season—a time of year when they start spreading and infecting people.

In contrast, there are no predictable seasonal infections for PCs, smartphones, tablets, and enterprise networks. For them, it’s always flu season. But instead of suffering chills and body aches, users can fall ill from a kind of machine malady—malware.

Each type of malware infection has its own methods of attack—from stealthy and sneaky to subtle like a sledgehammer. But if knowledge is power, as a preventative inoculation against infection, we offer here a short cybersecurity course on malware, what it is, its symptoms, how you get it, how to deal with it, and how to avoid it in the future.

How can I tell if my iPhone or iPad has malware?

Good news, Apple fans. Malware is not a significant issue on the iPhone. That is not to say it doesn’t exist, but it’s extremely rare. In fact, suffering a malware infection on an iPhone mostly only happens under three extraordinary circumstances.

“While outright malware infections are unlikely, using an iPhone doesn’t protect you at all against robocalls or text message scams.”

1. A targeted attack by a nation-state-level adversary. In this case, a government has either created or purchased, at a cost of millions of dollars, a piece of malware engineered to take advantage of some obscure security hole in iOS. Don’t be shocked, because all devices have some sort of vulnerability. To be sure, Apple has done a fine job of securing iOS, even preventing any apps (including security software) from scanning the phone or other apps on the device’s system. This approach, known as the walled garden, is why there are so few examples of iOS malware—creating it is simply too expensive, difficult, and time consuming for most cybercriminals.

2. An attack on a jailbroken iPhone. Jailbreaking an iPhone removes the restrictions and limitations Apple imposes as part of its walled garden approach to software design, mainly to allow the installation of apps from outside Apple’s App Store. Apple carefully vets the app developers it carries, even though malware piggybacking on a legitimate app has happened.

3. An attack on an outdated iPhone. On August 29, 2019 Apple fans’ heads exploded—there was a series of iOS exploits being used to infect normal, non-jailbroken iPhones with malware. The attack started when victims landed on a hacked website. From there, there the malicious websites infected devices with malware using a serious of exploits to get root access. Once the infection takes root, attackers are able to see your stored passwords, texts, call history, photos, contacts, notes and recordings. They can even track your GPS location. To this day, it’s unclear which sites served up the infection, but the exploits have been patched and it’s very unlikely you’ll catch this infection. That being said, if you’re using an outdated phone (older than iOS 12.1.4) and you never reset your phone, you could be vulnerable.

One more point about Android and iOS threats. There’s two more cyberthreats that affect both iOS and Android users: phishing attacks and scam calls. As it pertains to phishing, if you tap a link in a message from an unknown source or someone you know who’s being spoofed, it could send you to a site faked to look like a legitimate site that asks for your login and other personal information. Bottom line: Always proceed with caution.

Regarding scam calls—they’re the bane of our modern existence—calls from numbers you don’t know, sometimes in your own area code, with threatening pre-recorded messages purporting to be from various government agencies. Whoever the caller claims to be, unless it’s from a political candidate, airline, charity, healthcare provider, school, or debt collector—it’s probably illegal.

Функционал Malware

Количество доступных пользователю Malware функций зависит от того, какую именно версию антивирусной программы он выбрал. Так, для частного использования существует два варианта: бесплатный и премиум. Кроме того, ряд дополнительных возможностей открывается в корпоративной версии антивируса.

Бесплатная версия

Бесплатная версия Malware, по сути, состоит из сканера, определяющего различное вредоносное ПО в системе. Однако его придётся запускать вручную, и никаких дополнительных возможностей он не предусматривает. За счёт отсутствия большого количества функций бесплатная версия может работать параллельно с другими антивирусными ПО.

Malware Premium

Главным инструментом Malware Premium можно считать интеллектуальную (несигнатурную) защиту. Она строится на отсутствии баз данных, по которой антивирус сравнивал бы коды файлов. Иными словами, система интеллектуального сканирования построена с учётом поведения, а не кода вирусов. Это позволяет избежать их проникновения в систему. В том числе речь идёт о мимикрирующем вирусе (переписывающем свой код при проникновении в файл). Несмотря на отсутствие баз данных, такая интеллектуальная защита эффективна. Причина заключается в том, что даже новые вирусы построены на основе логики старых. По крайней мере, они частично используют их методы, чем выдают себя. За счёт этого интеллектуальная система обнаруживает вредоносное ПО ещё на начальной стадии заражения.

Другой значимой функцией является защита от фишинга. Она не только не даст зайти на подозрительный сайт. Эта система просканирует сертификат, выданный сайту, а также его корневой сертификат. Она такзже предотвратит попытки автоматически перенаправить пользователя на другой сайт. Кроме того, система защищает от применения скрытых Java-скриптов. Ещё она не даст проникнуть вредоносному ПО в операционную систему. Защита сработает даже если была использована уязвимость самого браузера.

Плюсы и минусы Malware включают несколько дополнительных функций. Например, к ним можно отнести антишифровальщик. Данная функция не позволяет ПО шифровать данные на ПК без уведомления пользователя. Кроме того, доступен карантин. Это отличное решение для опытных пользователей. Так, подозрительное ПО не удаляется сразу, а отправляется в карантин, тем самым обезвреживая его. Однако дальнейшую судьбу этих файлов и программ предстоит решить именно пользователю. Если он посчитает необходимым удалить их, у него будет возможность сделать это. Или он сможет вернуть файлы и программы с карантина на свой страх и риск.

Дополнительно, у антивируса есть отчёты и расписания. Первая функция позволяет получать актуальную информацию о состоянии своей операционной системы. Расписание же касается времени проверок и выполнения программой других задач. Его можно регулировать самостоятельно, выбирая подходящие время и действия.

Malware для бизнеса

Как и у многих других антивирусов, у Malware есть предложение для компаний. В нём присутствует централизованное управление, а также облачное решение, которое используется для массовой проверки файлов. Единственный минус заключается в том, что данные продукты представлены только на английском языке.

How do I protect myself from spyware?

The best defense against spyware, as with most malware, starts with your behavior. Follow these basics of good cyber self-defense.

1. Don’t open emails from unknown senders.
2. Don’t download files unless they come from a trusted source.
3. Mouse-over links before clicking on them and make sure you’re being sent to the right webpage.
4. Use a reputable cybersecurity program to counter advanced spyware. In particular, look for cybersecurity that includes real-time protection.

A quick note about real-time protection. Real-time protection automatically blocks spyware and other threats before they can activate on your computer. Some traditional cybersecurity or antivirus products rely heavily on signature-based technology—these products can be easily circumvented by today’s modern threats.

You should also look out for features that block the delivery of spyware itself on your machine, such as anti-exploit technology and malicious website protection, which blocks websites that host spyware. The premium version of Malwarebytes has a solid reputation for spyware protection.

Digital life comes with ubiquitous dangers in the daily online landscape. Fortunately, there are straightforward and effective ways to protect yourself. Between a cybersecurity suite and commonsense precautions, you should be able to keep every machine you use free from spyware invasions and their malicious intent.

See all our reporting on spyware at Malwarebytes Labs.

How does anti-malware work?

The old school method of signature-based threat detection is effective to a degree, but modern anti-malware also detects threats using newer methods that look for malicious behavior. To put it another way, signature-based detection is a bit like looking for a criminal’s fingerprints. It’s a great way to identify a threat, but only if you know what their fingerprints look like. Modern anti-malware takes detection a step further so it can identify threats it has never seen before. By analyzing a program’s structure and behavior, it can detect suspicious activity. Keeping with the analogy, it’s a bit like noticing that one person always hangs out in the same places as known criminals and has a lock pick in his pocket.

This newer, more effective cybersecurity technology is called heuristic analysis. “Heuristics” is a term researchers coined for a strategy that detects threats by analyzing the program’s structure, its behavior, and other attributes.

Each time a heuristic anti-malware program scans an executable file, it scrutinizes the program’s overall structure, programming logic, and data. All the while, it looks for things like unusual instructions or junk code. In this way, it assesses the likelihood that the program contains malware. What’s more, a big plus for heuristics is its ability to detect malware in files and boot records before the malware has a chance to run and infect your computer. In other words, heuristics-enabled anti-malware is proactive, not reactive.

Some anti-malware products can also run the suspected malware in a sandbox, which is a controlled environment in which the security software can determine whether a program is safe to deploy or not. Running malware in a sandbox lets the anti-malware look at what the software does, the actions it performs, and whether it tries to hide itself or compromise your computer.

Another way heuristic analytics helps keep users safe is by analyzing web page characteristics in order to identify risky sites that might contain exploits. If it recognizes something fishy, it blocks the site.

In brief, signature-based anti-malware is like a bouncer at the nightclub door, carrying a thick book of mug shots and booting anyone that matches. Heuristic analysis is the bouncer who looks for suspicious behavior, pats people down, and sends home the ones carrying a weapon.

“Heuristics is a term researchers coined for a strategy that detects viruses by analyzing the program’s structure, its behavior, and other attributes.”

How do I protect myself from adware?

Finally, even before all the above precautions, download a reputable cybersecurity program for your PC or mobile phone. Perform scans frequently, and keep your updates, well, up to date. Of course, we recommend any of our Malwarebytes family of anti-malware products as a prudent measure: Malwarebytes for Windows, Malwarebytes for Mac, Malwarebytes for Android, Malwarebytes for Chromebook, and Malwarebytes for iOS. By arming yourself with knowledge, and protecting yourself with a robust cybersecurity program, you can take the steps necessary for an adware-free life online.

See all our reporting on adware
at Malwarebytes Labs. 

Do mobile devices get malware?

Malware criminals love the mobile market. After all, smartphones are sophisticated, complex handheld computers. They also offer an entrance into a treasure trove of personal information, financial details, and all manner of valuable data for those seeking to make a dishonest dollar. 

The fact is, it’s a huge market (read: target). The GSMA, a trade body that represents mobile carriers, puts the number of mobile device users somewhere over 5 billion, worldwide. A quarter of these users own more than one device. Fraudsters find the mobile market very attractive and take advantage of a gigantic economy of scale to leverage their efforts.

Mobile users are often easier to target as well. Most do not protect their phones as diligently as they do their computers, failing to install security software or keep their operating systems up to date. It’s not entirely our fault. Apple, on average, supports their phones—meaning you can download the latest iOS—five years after the launch date. Android phones can be updated for about three years.

Infected mobile devices are a particularly insidious danger compared to a PC. Ironically, the “personal computer” isn’t personal anymore. Phones, conversely, go with us everywhere. As a society we’ve become so attached to our phones that there’s now an actual word for the fear we experience when we don’t have our phones: Nomophobia.

A hacked microphone and camera can record everything you see and say. A hacked GPS can broadcast your every move. Even worse, mobile malware can be used to evade the multi-factor authentication (MFA) many apps use to keep our data secure.

“The more popular Android platform attracts more malware than the iPhone.”

Keep in mind that cheap phones can come with malware pre-installed, which can be difficult to remove (Malwarebytes for Android is a big help here).

Regarding the mobile malware ecosystem, the two most prevalent smartphone operating systems are Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Android leads the market with 76 percent of all smartphone sales, followed by iOS with 22 percent of all smartphones sold. No big surprise then that the more popular Android platform attracts more malware than the iPhone. Let’s look at them each separately.

Приложения и плагины Malware

У Malware нет плагина, зато антивирус доступен в виде приложений для компьютера и мобильного устройства. В первом случае речь идёт о таких операционных системах, как Windows, MacOS и Chromebook. А вот мобильное приложение можно установить только на Android.

Что касается версии для мобильных устройств, она представлена двумя тарифами: бесплатным и премиум. Бесплатная версия в точности повторяет десктопный аналог. Платная же дополнительно включает антифишинг, проверку приватности и антирекламу. Иными словами, Malware Premium определяет приложения, которые собирают данные о пользователе и запрашивают местоположение. Антиреклама позволяет найти и удалить ПО, внедряющее и показывающее рекламу.

Полное описание

Пользуясь программой Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, можно обеспечить надлежащий уровень средств защиты для вашего компьютера от всевозможных видов вредоносного ПО. Программа блокирует сотни самых опасных троянов, руткитов, вредоносных веб-сайтов. Вы останетесь довольны скоростью работы утилиты, а также возможностью оперативно формировать список игнорирования при подготовке к сканированию.

После завершения диагностики ОС, Malwarebytes Anti Malware выведет подробную информацию о результатах проведенной работы, вы сможете вручную удалять любые подозрительные программы, троянсские модули и пр., либо выполнить автоматическую очистку. Последняя версия позволяет использовать преимущество двух режимов сканирования, а также указывать требуемый диск для проверки. Использовать командную строку и прочие неудобные средства управления не придется. Разработчики сделали не только удобный пользовательский интерфейс, но и реализовали интеграцию в контекстное меню ОС персонального компьютера.

Who does malware target?

The answer here is: Take your pick. There are billions of consumer-owned devices out there. They’re connected to banks, retail store accounts, and anything else worth stealing. It’s a broad attack surface for adware and spyware, keyloggers, and malvertising—as well as an attractive method for lazy criminals to create and distribute malware to as many targets as possible, with proportionately little effort.

“If you use your smartphone or tablet in the workplace, hackers can turn their attack to your employer.”

While not currently popular with cybercriminals, cryptominers seem to be equal opportunity about their targets, going after both individuals and businesses. Ransomware, on the other hand, targets businesses, hospitals, municipalities, and retail store systems in disproportionately greater numbers than consumers.

To repeat, not all of the apps available through Apple’s App Store and Google Play are desirable and the problem is even more acute with third-party app stores. While the app store operators try to prevent malicious apps from penetrating their site, some inevitably slip through. These apps can steal user information, attempt to extort money from users, try to access corporate networks to which the device is connected, and force users to view unwanted ads or engage in other types of unsanitary activity.

If viruses aren’t as big of a threat anymore, why do I need an antivirus for my computer?

Viruses are just one kind of malware. There are other forms of malware that are more common these days. Here are just a few:

Adware:

Adware is unwanted software designed to throw advertisements up on your screen, often within a web browser, but sometimes within mobile apps as well. Typically, adware disguises itself as legitimate or piggybacks on another program to trick you into installing it on your PC, tablet, or mobile device.

Spyware:

Spyware is malware that secretly observes the computer user’s activities, including browsing activity, downloads, payment information, and login credentials, and then reports this information to the software’s author. Spyware isn’t just for cybercriminals. Legitimate companies sometimes use spyware to track employees.

Keylogger:

A keylogger, spyware’s less sophisticated cousin, is malware that records all the user’s keystrokes on the keyboard. This malware typically stores the gathered information and sends it to the attacker seeking sensitive information like usernames, passwords, or credit card details.

Computer Virus:

A computer virus is malware that attaches to another program and, when triggered, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and infecting them with its own bits of code.

Worms:

Worms are a type of malware similar to viruses in that they spread, but they don’t require user interaction to be triggered.

Trojan:

A Trojan, or Trojan Horse, is more of a delivery method for infections than an infection. The Trojan presents itself as something useful to trick users into opening it. Trojan attacks can carry just about any form of malware, including viruses, spyware, and ransomware. Famously, the Emotet banking Trojan started as an information stealer, targeting banks and large corporations.

Later, Emotet operated purely as an infection vector for other forms of malware, usually ransomware.

Ransomware:

Ransomware is a form of malware that locks you out of your device and/or encrypts your files, then forces you to pay a ransom to get them back. Ransomware has been called the cybercriminal’s weapon of choice, because it demands a profitable quick payment in hard-to-trace cryptocurrency.

The cybercriminals behind the GandCrab ransomware claimed to have brought in over $2 billion in ransom payments over the course of a year and a half.

Rootkit:

A rootkit is malware that provides the attacker with administrator privileges on the infected system and actively hides from the normal computer user. Rootkits also hide from other software on the system—even from the operating system itself.

Malicious Cryptomining:

Malicious cryptomining, also sometimes called drive-by mining or cryptojacking, is an increasingly prevalent form of malware or browser-based attack that is delivered through multiple attack methods, including malspam, drive-by downloads, and rogue apps and extensions.

It allows someone else to use your computer’s CPU or GPU to mine cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or Monero. So instead of letting you cash in on your computer’s horsepower, the cryptominers send the collected coins into their own account—not yours. So, essentially, a malicious cryptominer is stealing your device’s resources to make money.

Exploits:

Exploits are a type of threat that takes advantage of bugs and vulnerabilities in a system in order to allow the exploit’s creator to deliver malware. One of the most common exploits is the SQL injection.

Malvertising:

Malvertising is an attack that uses malicious ads on mostly legitimate websites to deliver malware. You needn’t even click on the ad to be affected—the accompanying malware can install itself simply by loading and viewing the page in your browser. All you have to do is visit a good site on the wrong day.

History of spyware

As with much Internet discourse, it’s difficult to pin down exactly where “spyware” as a word and a concept originated. Public references to the term date back to Usenet discussions happening in the mid-90s. By the early 2000s, “spyware” was being used by cybersecurity companies, in much the same way we might use the term today; i.e. some sort of unwanted software program designed to spy on your computer activity.

In June 2000, the first anti-spyware application was released. In October 2004, America Online and the National Cyber-Security Alliance performed a survey. The result was startling. About 80% of all Internet users have their system affected by spyware, about 93% of spyware components are present in each of the computers, and 89% of the computer users were unaware of their existence. Out of the affected parties, almost all, about 95%, confessed that they never granted permission to install them.

At present, and in general, the Windows operating system is the preferred target for spyware applications, thanks largely to its widespread use. However, in recent years spyware developers have also turned their attention to the Apple platform, as well as to mobile devices.

Особенности

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware — утилита, которая распространяется бесплатно. Она предназначена для обнаружения вредоносного, рекламного и шпионского ПО, а также для лечения от разного вида заражений вашей системы. Для этого достаточно скачать Malwarebytes Anti-Malware последнюю версию.

Это полноценный софт, который работает на основе современных технологий, позволяющих быстро найти и избавиться от вредоносного ПО.

Ведь не секрет, что через съемные носители, через сеть часто на ПК попадают программы, которые мешают работать системе и, кроме того, похищают ваши данные. Причем каждый новый день ведет к появлению нового вредоносного элемента. Программа Malwarebytes Anti-Malware позволяет избавиться от этих вредителей и обезопасить вашу работу.

Утилита проверяет запущенные в системе процессы, анализирует их, блокирует то, что вызывает сомнение. Причем с помощью эвристического анализа удается найти даже новые вирусы, которые еще не внесены в базу данных.

Do Macs get malware?

Conventional wisdom has sometimes held that Macs and iPads are immune to catching viruses (and don’t need an antivirus). For the most part, that’s true. At the very least, it hasn’t happened in a long time.

“Mac systems are subject to the same vulnerabilities (and subsequent symptoms of infection) as Windows machines and cannot be considered bulletproof.”

Other kinds of malware are a different story. Mac systems are subject to the same vulnerabilities (and subsequent symptoms of infection) as Windows machines and cannot be considered bulletproof. For instance, the Mac’s built-in protection against malware doesn’t block all the adware and spyware bundled with fraudulent application downloads. Trojans and keyloggers are also threats. The first detection of ransomware for Macs occurred in March 2016, when a Trojan-delivered attack affected more than 7,000 Mac users.

In fact, Malwarebytes saw more Mac malware in 2017 than in any previous year. By the end of 2017, the number of new unique threats that our professionals counted on the Mac platform was more than 270 percent higher compared to the number noted in 2016.

Read more about the state of. Mac antivirus and anti-malware.

How to prevent malware

When it comes to malware, prevention is better than a cure. Fortunately, there are some common sense, easy behaviors that minimize your chances of running into any nasty software.

• Double-check your downloads. From pirating sites to official storefronts, malware is often lurking just around the corner. So before downloading, always double-check that the provider is trustworthy by carefully reading reviews and comments.

• Get an ad-blocker. Malvertising – where hackers use infected banners or pop-up ads to infect your device – is on the rise. You can’t know which ads are bad: so it’s safer to just block them all with a reliable ad-blocker.

• Careful where you browse. Malware can be found anywhere, but it’s most common in websites with poor backend security, like small, local websites. If you stick to large, reputable sites, you severely reduce your risk of encountering malware.

Unfortunately, even if you follow the above advice to the letter, you might still get infected with malware: hackers have found ways to sneak their viruses into every corner of the web. For real security, you need to combine healthy online habits with powerful and reliable anti-malware software, like AVG AntiVirus FREE, which detects and stops malware before it infects your PC, Mac, or mobile device.

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What is spyware?

No big surprise—spyware is sneaky. It finds its way on to your computer without your knowledge or permission, attaching itself to your operating system. You might even inadvertently permit spyware to install itself when you agree to the terms and conditions of a seemingly legitimate program without reading the fine print.

Whatever way spyware manages to get on your PC, the method of operation is generally the same—it runs quietly in the background, maintaining a secret presence, collecting information or monitoring your activities in order to trigger malicious activities related to your computer and how you use it. And even if you discover its unwelcome presence on your system, Spyware does not come with an easy uninstall feature.

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“Spyware runs quietly in the background, collecting information.”

How to characterize a Trojan

People sometimes think of a Trojan as a virus or a worm, but it is really neither. A virus is a file infector which can self-replicate and spread by attaching itself to another program. Worms are a type of malware similar to viruses, but they don’t need to be attached to another program in order to spread. Most viruses are now seen as legacy threats. Worms have also become rare, though they do pop up from time to time. 

“A Trojan can be like a Swiss Army knife of hacking.”

Think of Trojans as an umbrella term for malware delivery, because there are various kinds of Trojans. Depending on the criminal programmer’s intent, a Trojan can be like a Swiss Army knife of hacking—acting as a bit of standalone malware, or as a tool for other activities, such as delivering future payloads, communicating with the hacker at a later time, or opening up the system to attacks just as the Greek soldiers did from inside the Trojan fortress.

Put another way, a Trojan is a delivery strategy that hackers use to deliver any number of threats, from ransomware that immediately demands money, to spyware that conceals itself while it steals valuable information like personal and financial data.

Keep in mind that adware or PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) can be confused with Trojans because the delivery method is similar. For example, sometimes adware sneaks onto your computer as part of a bundle of software. You think you’re downloading one piece of software, but it’s really two or three. The program authors usually include the adware for marketing affiliate reasons so they can monetize their installer with offers—usually clearly labeled. Such adware bundlers are typically less malicious than Trojans. Also, they do not conceal themselves as Trojans do. But since the adware distribution vector resembles that of a Trojan, it can cause confusion.