Malware is a collective name for any malicious software that damages a computer, server, or computer network. Viruses, worms, spyware, and adware are all types of malware. While some malware is merely annoying, other malware can unleash chaos on your system or leak confidential information to criminals.
To protect yourself from malware, avoid dodgy websites, ignore phishing scams, subscribe to a reputable VPN service, and invest in well-reviewed cybersecurity software.
Remember, the best cybersecurity software offers real-time protection and remediates malware based on threat behaviors rather than signature-based technology. For example, the advanced antivirus protection from Malwarebytes is one of the best in the business because it uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to recognize suspicious patterns. The right cybersecurity technology gives you proactive protection against countless new malware threats created and detected every day.
The creators of cybersecurity technology learn from past threats to develop top-of-the-line antivirus software. Here are some of the most infamous malware infections of all time:
#1 Brain (1986)
As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Brain was created by two young brothers from Lahore, Pakistan, to protect their heart-monitoring software from piracy. The virus copied itself onto machines using illegally copied versions of the software in order to deliver a warning from the developers.
The programmers never expected Brain to become a global phenomenon. The virus quickly spread from Pakistan through floppy disks to computers in the United Kingdom and the United States. Soon, the brothers received numerous angry phone calls from overseas. In response to Brain, IBM created the first antivirus software for general PC users just a year later.
#2 ILOVEYOU (2000)
ILOVEYOU is one of the first malware to use email as a delivery medium. The worm infected over 10 million Windows operating systems and rewrote millions of computer files with extensions such as .JPEG, .DOC and .MP3.
The financial cost of ILOVEYOU is an estimated $10 billion. The malware, MyDoom, overtook ILOVEYOU and infected 25% of all emails in 2004, causing $38 billion in estimated damages.
#3 WannaCry (2017)
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts crucial files on your system or network until you pay a ransom through a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Unfortunately, there’s never a guarantee with ransomware.
The WannaCry ransomware attack of 2017 is one of the most prolific ransomware attacks of all time. It used a security flaw in Microsoft Windows to hold over 200,000 computers hostage in more than 150 countries, including systems at mobile companies and health care networks. Targeted hospitals canceled essential procedures and ambulance services while dealing with the attack.
The attack was certainly expensive. For example, in the United Kingdom, The WannaCry ransomware attack cost the National Health Service (NHS) over $100 million. Overall, it cost $4 billion in worldwide financial losses.
However, WannaCry isn’t the most expensive ransomware attack of all time. The NotPetya/ExPetr malware held countless computers in Ukraine hostage for a bounty. It cost at least $10 billion in damages.
Malware attacks can be devastating to you and the global economy. Stay watchful on the Internet and use good cybersecurity software to protect your network from increasingly complex threats.
