Introduction

The work arises within the scope of the subject of Information and Communication Technology whose theme is: Types of

Malicious software, its mode of operation, and its forms of mitigation. The research will focus on some
aspects such as the main types of malware and how to minimize their damage
side effects.
However, it is important to mention that a malware is a program that can infect other programs including a
possibly evolved copy of itself.
There are many methods used to identify malicious software. These can be virus detection.
computer viruses, such as worms and Trojan horses.
Another technique relies on behavior-based detection, identifying malicious software through actions.
equestrian, such as the unsolicited and disguised connection to the Internet, which is often the case with horses
of Trojans and keyloggers.

Methodologies

For the preparation of this work, the bibliographic method was used, which consisted of consulting bibliographic works.
the internet, a descriptive method that consisted of the description of information collected from the different works where each

the author is properly referenced at the end of the work.

Basic concepts Operating system

In computer science, the term operating system refers to the set of computer programs that allow a
satisfactory management of the resources that have a computer. Also known as system software,
the operating system starts running on the computer immediately after it is turned on and manages the hardware
from the most basic levels, also allowing for user interaction. The software consists of all the
programs that exist for a given system, whether produced by the user themselves or by the manufacturer of
computer.

Malicious software
Malware (malicious software) refers to any program that can cause harm to a
user, computer or network of computers, which can take various forms.

Brief history of malware

Since the origin of technology, various types of endless threats have been emerging, this spread began
In the mid-1949s, when what can be called the beginning of the creation of malicious software emerged, John Von.
Neuman created the theory of self-replicators, self-replicating programs that were able to control others.
programs, this concept has thousands of legitimate applications in computer science, but it didn't take long and soon

numerous malicious intentions have arisen around this theory.

The first viruses in history were not as dangerous as they are today; the only thing they did was display a
message on the screen and pass it to another computer. But it didn't take long for this joke to turn into a threat.
malicious hackers and computer engineers will begin to create methods to steal information and
use someone else's machines.
Throughout the 1980s, computers became popular and from then on more and more people began
It perceives the technology to use and create its own programs was then in this decade that the first creators
dedicated malicious programs emerged, and in 1981, Richard Skrenta created the first computer virus, the
a virus called Elk Cloner displayed a poem every 50 restarts of the infected computers.
In 1984, Frederick B. Cohen first used the term computer virus in a study defining it as
a program capable of infecting other programs, modifying them to include a copy of itself.
In 1987, the Jerusalem virus or Friday the 13th, emerged as the ability to alter files with extensions (exe.) and
(.com) it became one of the most famous viruses in history, at the time many people due to lack of knowledge
I thought the only way to protect yourself against this virus was to keep your computers off.
In 1999, the worn Happy initiated a new era in malware creation that continues to this day.
sending worms by E-mail.
2004 was the year that worms caused widespread panic in this type of epidemic and interestingly the last.
Creators realized that they could go far beyond appearing on newspaper covers and causing panic. They began to realize
that your skills could earn much more money by generating a new type of business.
Around 2005, the c became prominent; this type of malware started to be developed to steal information.
confidential online banking services.
Then a wide variety of malware emerged on the internet, and to protect oneself from these threats in the best way possible.

It is vital to know the types of malware. When a user notices that their computer is
It's normal for him to claim that his computer has a virus. But it's not always a virus; a virus is
just one of the types of malware, which in turn is a software developed by programmers, the viruses infect
The systems make copies of themselves and try to spread to other computers.
Characteristics of malicious software

Thus, the main characteristics are considered to be the capabilities of: transmission or resection by the network,
transmission or resection via emails, encapsulation in files downloaded from websites on the network,
transmission through social networks; hiding in instant messages, exploiting system vulnerabilities,
cloning, deleting files, wasting system resources and stealing information.
Objectives of Malware
Malware comes from the English term 'Malicious software,' software intended for malicious actions infiltrated in
computers illegally with the aim of causing damage, altering, and stealing information.
Types of malicious software and their modes of operation

Adware
Adware is the name given to programs designed to display ads on your computer, redirect your
research requests for advertising sites and collect marketing data about you. For example, adware
normally collects the types of websites you visit, so that advertisers can display ads
customized.
Many consider adware that collects data without your consent as malicious adware. Another example of
Malicious adware are intrusive pop-up ads for supposed fixes for non-existent computer viruses or
performance issues.
Spyware
Spyware is, as the name suggests, software that spies on you. Designed to monitor and capture your browsing.
On the Web and other activities, spywares, such as adwares, usually send their browsing activities to
advertisers. Spyware, however, includes features not found in adware. For example, it can also capture
confidential information, such as bank accounts, passwords or credit card information.
Although not all spyware is malicious, it is controversial because it can violate privacy and has the potential to be
abusive.
Virus
They are software programs that were developed with the aim of infecting files, they can only cause
uncomfortable as they can also be highly destructive to the point of causing irreparable damage to the system. It has
this name for having a behavior similar to that of a biological virus that multiplies needing a body
host, waiting for the right moment to attack to avoid being exterminated.
When entering a system without the user's consent or knowledge, they embed themselves in the code of others.
programs, and they wait until the infected program is executed.
Trojan Horses
Trojan horse is a malicious program that disguises itself to appear useful. Cybercriminals deliver trojans
Trojan disguised as routine software that convinces the victim to install it on their computer. The term is
derived from the ancient Greek story of the wooden horse used to sneak into the city of Troy. Horses
Trojans are so deadly on computers.
The payload can be anything, but it is usually a form of backdoor that allows the attacker unauthorized access.
authorized to the affected computer. Trojans also give cybercriminals access to information
personal information of a user, such as IP addresses, passwords, and banking details. They are often used to
install keyloggers that can easily capture account names and passwords or credit card data and
disclose the data to the malware agent. Most ransomware attacks are carried out using a Trojan horse.
Trojan, hosting malicious code in an apparently harmless data.
Security experts consider that Trojans are among the most dangerous types of malware.
Nowadays, especially Trojan horses designed to steal users' financial information.
Some types of insidious Trojan horses claim to remove any virus from a computer, but introduce
virus.
Rootkit
A rootkit is a set of software tools, usually malicious, that give an unauthorized user
privileged access to a computer. Once a rootkit is installed, the rootkit controller can execute
remotely access files and change system settings on the host machine.
Rootkits cannot propagate or replicate automatically. They must be installed on a device.
because of where they operate (in the lower layers of the application layer of the operating system, in the kernel of
operating system or in the BIOS (basic input/output system of the device) with access permissions
privileged), they are very difficult to detect and even more difficult to remove.
When a rootkit is discovered, some experts recommend completely wiping the hard drive and reinstalling
everything from scratch.

Phishing
Phishing is a cybercrime in which one or more targets are contacted via email, phone, or message.
text by someone who presents themselves as a legitimate institution to lure the victim into providing confidential data,
such as personal identification information, bank details, credit card information, and passwords.
Technically, phishing is not a type of malware, but a delivery method used by criminals to
distributing many types of malware. We list here among the types of malware, due to their importance and to illustrate
how it works.
Many times, a phishing attack lures an individual to click on a URL infected with malware that deceives the
victim thinking they are visiting their bank or another online service. The malicious site captures the identification and the

victim's password or other personal or financial information.

URL Injection
Modifies the behavior of browsers regarding some domains by replacing the server URL with another
with the intention of making offers related to the original provided profit.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks data on the victim's computer, usually through encryption.
The cybercriminal behind the malware demands payment before decrypting the seized data and returning it.
access to the victim.

The reason for ransomware attacks is almost always monetary and, unlike other types of attacks, the victim
she is usually notified that an exploitation has occurred and receives instructions to make the payment to restore
the data to normal. The payment is usually required in a virtual currency, such as Bitcoin, so that the
the identity of the cybercriminal remains hidden.

Ways to mitigate malicious software

To protect oneself from malware, it is necessary to have knowledge, to learn to attack in order to be able to defend, this motto is

widely used for infrastructure managers of Technology, Information and Communication, to protect themselves in
day-to-day against malware and any type of attack whether inside or outside the company, for this it is necessary to provide

knowledge of the area and then have competence in information security.

Antivirus installation

Anti-malware software - it’s never too much to have the latest version of a common malware scanning program
installed on all devices to search for and destroy unauthorized programs, such as viruses.
Spam filters
Spam filters - block or quarantine email messages with suspicious or unwanted content.
unknown senders to alert users not to open or respond. Most companies have
a centralized reduction of spam, and many personal email providers also offer this service.
Firewalls
Firewalls and intrusion detection systems act as traffic police for network activities and
they block anything suspicious. This is enterprise-level technology that protects computers,
servers or networks of malicious application users or cyber attack. Firewalls may not prevent the
malware installation, but they can detect nefarious operations in the process.
Regular updates
Always keep the network software, desktop, device, and operating systems updated.
Security patches are regularly issued by trusted software vendors and must be installed to
to avoid the most recent threats.

Final considerations
With the end of the research, it was realized that malware is all types of programs whose purpose is to execute some
malicious or unsolicited activity by the user. There are several types of malware, and among them one can...
cite: virus, Worm, Spyware, Hijackers, Trojans Horses (Trojan Horses), Phishing Scam, among others.
To ensure protection against malware, it is important to know the threats and attack techniques used.
by the invaders, in order to then apply the necessary measures and tools for the protection of these resources.
An aspect of capital importance regarding the methods of mitigating malicious software is to have
be careful with attachments and links in emails, instant messages, and social networks, even when the message comes from

known people. It is worth noting that there are other ways to mitigate malicious software such as the case of
keep the security software (antivirus) updated, create a firewall, filter spam.

Bibliographic references
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FONTES, Edson. Information Security: the user makes the difference. São Paulo: Saraiva, 2006;
NUNES, P. F. V.). Cyber threats and Legal Framework of Conflicts in Cyberspace. In J. V. Borges & T. F.
Rodrigues (Eds.), Transnational Threats and Risks in the New Global World. Lisbon: Fronteira do Caos Publishers
Lda, 2016;
SOUZA, E. P. Study on an anomaly detection intrusion system: an approach using neural networks.
Master's thesis, University of Salvador, 2008