In this digital era, we must always be aware of cyber attacks. Even if you just love to browse social media and play games, you should still be wary of malware, spyware, and adware. All three can damage smartphones, laptops, and computers.
Really, what is malware, spyware, and adware? Why on the back are the words ware? The reason is because all three are included in the software. If it’s not clear, let’s discuss it one by one.
1. Malware
As the University of Massachusetts Amherst puts it, malware is malicious software, a special piece of software created to disrupt other people’s computer systems.
Malware can attack someone’s files and duplicate themselves into many. After that, the malware will damage the hard drive and software, retrieve data, and damage the operating system on the victim’s computer. Amazingly, malware can be in the form of software or code that disguises itself as a user and runs the system without the consent of the computer owner.
This particular software harms the device by decrypting the program or turning it off. In fact, super malignant malware can turn off the antivirus on the computer system. Currently circulating malware such as trojans, worms, viruses, and rookies. The way malware works is different from each other, including collecting sensitive information, accessing devices without permission, replicating, duplicating, and attacking the victim’s internet network.
2. Spyware
The definition of spyware is software that is assigned to spy on someone. As the Kaspersky website explains, spyware can be aimed at collecting data by spying on a computer or other device, such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
After the victim’s data is collected, the spyware will send it to another party or the spyware creator without the victim’s knowledge. The stolen data are usually passwords, passwords, PINs, credit card numbers, monitor keyboard keys pressed, browsing history, collect email addresses, monitor the victim’s movements from GPS.
Spyware can enter the victim’s smartphone through other software. It attaches to software or applications and then the victim unknowingly downloads and installs it. Another way spyware can infiltrate the victim’s device using the same way malware. He hacked through certain sites or disguised as an attachment in an email.
Kaspersky categorizes spyware into four parts, namely trojans, adware, tracking cookies, and system monitors.
- Trojan Spyware: spyware that can infect a computer or laptop in the form of a malware trojan.
- Adware Spyware: advertising adware that can monitor the activity of a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or other device.
- Tracking Cookies: files in storage that can monitor user movements on the internet.
- System Monitor: spyware that can monitor every activity on a computer or laptop, then record sensitive data such as keyboard keys pressed, websites visited, email, and others.
Spyware Danger
If the stolen data is very complete, then the identity of the victim can be duplicated or faked to commit a crime. As if the victim committed a crime even though it was the act of the person who sent the spyware. The stolen data is usually browser history, email accounts, passwords, banking passwords, online shopping accounts and passwords, and social media accounts. Spyware can also take all the money in the bank account or credit card data in the bank. Then the perpetrator will sell it to a third party or use it themselves. In addition, spyware also sucks resources, so the battery drains quickly and sluggishly. Likewise, internet data quotas run out quickly because of spyware.
3. Adware
If Adware is one of the malware in the form of advertising or pop up ads. These ads usually appear when the victim installs a program. So, if you often encounter pop up ads that appear suddenly, it means that your laptop or computer has been infiltrated by Adware. Even so, adware does not damage data or devices. He just wants to advertise on your laptop or computer.
Again, adware does not have the ability to damage computer systems or hardware. The adware only displays advertisements that redirect users to certain websites. However, there are also some adware that have the ability to spy on user activity. After that, he will send the information to the company so that it can display ads according to the user’s interests.
For example, you are looking to buy a car. Then you search for info about a particular car on Google or talk about car problems on social media, then the ads that appear will be related to cars. If you feel annoyed with the ad, you can remove it. How to get rid of adware is very easy, you just have to clear the browser cache or reinstall the browser. That way, annoying ads will disappear by themselves. If the ads are still stubborn, just install the Adblock extension on Google Chrome or Mozilla.
Which is More Dangerous?
If asked which is more dangerous, the answer is definitely between malware and spyware. Because both of these software can harm someone. Such as data theft, damaging the device, taking over the device, making the victim poor, and making the victim a suspect in a crime.
If adware is not dangerous but just annoying. He only shows ads on computer windows. Well, some of these ads can be closed manually, but some can’t be closed. That’s what sometimes annoys users.