Types of malware and how to avoid them

Malware — malicious software — is the umbrella term for programs built to harm you or profit from you. It comes in several flavours with different goals, and knowing the difference helps you spot trouble and avoid it. Here’s a plain-language tour, and the small set of habits that keeps almost all of it out.

The main types

Different malware, different aims:

• Viruses and worms spread from file to file or device to device, often just to cause disruption.
• Ransomware locks up your files and demands payment to release them — one of the nastiest and most costly.
• Spyware hides quietly and watches what you do, harvesting passwords and data.
• Trojans disguise themselves as something useful to trick you into installing them.
• Adware floods you with ads and often tracks you aggressively.

How it gets in

Most infections come from a small number of routes: downloading software or attachments from untrusted sources, clicking links in phishing messages, installing apps from outside official stores, and running outdated software with known holes. Notice the theme — almost all of it involves you being tricked or your software being out of date.

The habits that stop most of it

You don’t need to be an expert, just consistent:

1. Keep your operating system and apps updated — updates patch the holes malware exploits.
2. Only install software and apps from official, trusted sources.
3. Be sceptical of unexpected attachments and links, and verify before clicking.
4. Run reputable security software and let it scan.
5. Use a VPN with ad and tracker blocking to cut off many of the malicious ads and sites that deliver malware.

A note on VPNs

To be clear, a VPN is not antivirus — it won’t remove malware you’ve installed. But by blocking malicious ads and trackers and encrypting your connection, it removes some of the paths malware travels, especially on untrusted networks. It’s one layer of several; see how to tell if your phone is hacked if you suspect something got through.