What is Malware?

Main types

• Virus: attaches itself to legitimate files or programs and spreads when they are run.
• Worm: spreads on its own across the network by exploiting vulnerabilities, without user action.
• Trojan horse: disguises itself as legitimate software so the victim installs it.
• Ransomware: encrypts data and demands a ransom.
• Infostealer and spyware: collect passwords, session cookies and other data and send them to the attacker.
• RAT and backdoor: provide persistent remote access to the system.
• Botnet: a network of infected machines controlled together, used for DDoS attacks and spam.

How it gets in and how it is detected

The most common entry points are phishing attachments and links, fake downloads, unpatched vulnerabilities on exposed systems and stolen credentials used to install tools directly. Many attacks use few or no malicious files and abuse the system's own legitimate tools, such as PowerShell, which makes signature-based detection harder.

That is why traditional antivirus, which compares files against known signatures, is not enough. EDR and XDR solutions analyze behavior: an Office document that opens a command shell, many files encrypted in quick succession, a connection to a command-and-control server.

Malware vs virus

Every virus is malware, but not all malware is a virus. "Virus" has become a popular synonym for any infection, but technically it is just one type, defined by how it spreads.

Network Secure operates a 24×7 SOC, with MDR, certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022.

Frequently asked questions

Is antivirus enough against malware?

No. Signature-based antivirus recognizes known threats but fails against new variants and attacks that use legitimate system tools. EDR with continuous monitoring closes that gap.

What is the difference between malware and ransomware?

Malware is the general category of malicious software. Ransomware is a specific type of malware that encrypts data and demands a ransom.