You’d come across words like malware vs virus while digging for website security. Both words are sometimes used interchangeably, but the irony is that they vary somewhat from one another. You’ll discover the distinction between the two in this article. We will talk about the various forms of malware that exist and the precautions you should take against them to protect your website.
TL;DR
Clean it automatically if you believe the website contains malware. Install this malware removal plugin for WordPress, search the web and clean it in 60 seconds. In addition, the plugin will allow you to harden your website against possible hacker attempts.
What’s the difference between a virus and malware?
Malware is an umbrella term that refers to any malicious programme created for the intent of destroying a website or stealing a website’s resources.
Different kinds of malware exist. A particular form of malware is a virus. It is a viral piece of code which can be inserted into a website’s files and folders. Like a parasite, a virus works. It will repeat itself and expand to the website’s other files and directories.
But why is it so popular to confuse viruses and malware?
We have to go back to the 1980s to resolve that.
In the 80s, the first malicious software emerged. It was a device that made operating networks corrupted. In defining it the word ‘computer virus’ was used.
Ever since the 80s, we have come a long way. There are numerous ways of malicious malware infecting devices today. There are worms, Trojans, adware, etc in addition to computer viruses.
To cover all forms of malicious software, the word ‘malware’ was coined. But because the word ‘virus’ was already rooted in the common mindset, these terms have been interchangeably used often.
It is important to remember that websites are infected with malware and that there is malware that infects devices like computers and smartphones.
The motive is to inflict harm or use the host’s services, whether it is a website malware or device malware.
And we know now that various kinds of malware exist. Only one form of malware is a virus. Let’s look at the other malware forms-
What Are the Different Types of Malware?
Malware is an umbrella term used for several various kinds of malware applications, as we described. Let’s take a look at the six most popular forms of malware that could infect your website. Those are as follows:
- Virus
- Worms
- Trojan
- Ransomware
- Adware & Spyware
- Scareware
1. Virus
A virus is a malicious piece of code that can be inserted into a folder or a file. It acts like a parasite. It will repeat itself and expand to the website’s other files and directories.
2. Worms
This is a virus that is programmed to destroy a system. It scans, exploits, and then switches to a separate host device for vulnerabilities. It will pass across the server, crashing one website after another in a shared hosting environment.
3. Trojan
Trojan is a programme that includes codes that are harmful. The programme will operate in a non-malicious manner, but once it is enabled, its true purpose will be concealed.
Take a pirated plugin that has a Trojan embedded inside for instance. The malicious code is also turned on when you instal and activate the plugin on your website. Trojans are also used without your knowledge to plant a backdoor using which hackers can enter your website.
The name Trojan derives, as you might have guessed, from the Trojan Horse. The Trojan malware deceives and fools users into willingly running it, much like the Trojan Horse.
Since they are frequently misunderstood as non-malicious, many malware detection scanners are unable to detect Trojans. Only WordPress protection plugins like MalCare can detect and warn users about it, which are programmed to recognise such malware.
4. Ransomware
Ransomware is the most infamous malware on our list. It will totally block the website, stopping all users of the site from accessing it. Hackers will then leave a note requesting a ransom for the site owner, usually in bitcoins or other cryptocurrency forms that can not be tracked.
5. Adware
Adware is deceptive ads, as the name suggests. Without the knowledge of the site owners, it exists on websites. The motive is to gain money from the success of your website.
Adwares can act as pop-ups, or they can appear in the infected site’s header as well.
6. Scareware
Like the name suggests, scareware’s motive is to frighten the consumer into taking action. Scareware has been used by most of us. It looks like a popup which warns you violently that your operating device or mobile has been compromised and needs to be cleaned immediately. The primary aim is to force the consumer to buy an anti-malware device. Hackers aim to use the website to market goods in this manner to make a fast buck.
With that, we’ve come to the end of popular malware forms.
You can use antivirus and anti-malware software when checking for website security tools. What the discrepancies are between antivirus and antimalware is normal to think. In the next part, we answer the question.
What Is The Difference Between Anti-Virus & Anti-Malware?
Anti-virus and anti-malware are the same tools, in nature. Between the two, there is no difference.
It may cross your mind that only viruses and no other type of malware can be cleaned by anti-virus software, but that is not true. The phrases anti-virus and anti-malware are used interchangeably by security tech firms. Therefore, the same stuff are basically anti-virus and anti-malware methods. They will delete from your WordPress account all forms of malware.
How to Use Anti-Malware To Protect Your Website From Malware & Virus?
There are plenty of anti-malware programmes to pick from, but not all of them are effective.
In the previous segment, we spoke about the Trojans. Trojans are excellent at disguising themselves, which is why they are not detected by malware scanners.
The aim of our anti-virus programme, MalCare, is to find hidden malware. You can start by scanning for malware from the WordPress database.
- If other scanners only check for proven viruses, MalCare goes one step forward and analyses code activity to find out whether or not it is malicious.
- MalCare is not only programmed to search any file, folder, and directory to detect malware on your website.
- If ransomware is detected on your website, to stop some sort of escalation, MalCare cleans it in seconds.
MalCare, in comparison, is a full security suite. You may set up a firewall using the app and take action to harden sites and other malware security measures.
You’ll need to take the following precautions to use MalCare-
Step 1: For MalCare, sign up.
Step 2: Then instal the plugin, and that’s it, on your website.
The first thing MalCare is going to do is fully search your web. It will automatically warn you if it detects any malware. And using the plugin, you can clean your website.
Ultimate Thoughts
There is a real risk that the site may become a target for malware attacks while you are running a website.
The error of believing that their platform is small to be an aim is made by many site owners. The fact is when small sites are callous about their protection, hackers prefer to target small websites. Big or small: steps must be taken by all websites to ensure that their website is protected from hackers.
Hackers may use it to carry out malicious operations such as attacking other websites, saving files, sending spam emails, etc if they obtain access to the site. You just need to protect your website from malware, just as you protect your computer from cybercriminals.