Attack Types and Famous Viruses

Most of you have probably heard of viruses, worms, malware, key loggers, Rootkits, and Trojans before, but what the heck are these things, and how do Hackers utilize them to steal people’s data and disrupt their computer systems? Each of these tools is a little bit different from the other, but they all have one similar goal: to enter a target’s system to provide the attacker with the information he or she doesn’t already have access to. No, I’m not going to show you how to Craft nefarious computer software, but you should have a well-rounded understanding of these topics if you have any hope of calling yourself a hacker. First and foremost, you need to understand the concept of computer viruses Because they are one of the most popular terms thrown around in discussions About cyber security and hacking. A computer virus is a piece of malicious coder software program that can infect a target system and then make copies of itself on other local computers. They are aptly named because they reproduce Much like a virus in real life, and they facilitate their operations by attaching Themselves to computer programs. Typically, they either render a computing System completely useless or seek to destroy data. Again, you’ll hear about Computer viruses in the movies a lot, so we’ll take a look at some of the most famous computer viruses of all time after defining the other terminology. A worm is very similar to a virus, and the line between a virus and a Worm indeed gets muddied and blurred. The largest difference is that worms are not Attached to a computer program. They exist independently on the host system, and they often take advantage of network resources to spread to other hosts on the network they have compromised. Sometimes worms are also classified as Malware because there are only minute differences in the terminology. Colloquially, these terms are interchangeable, but their meanings vary slightly in Academic settings. Perhaps you have already experienced the negative consequences of malware. One of the most popular ways that malware is distributed is through the medium of online downloads, whereby a downloadable file has been corrupted with Malware that the user then downloads and installs. You’ll see this frequently with most files hosted with P2P (Peer-to-Peer) file-sharing programs such as BitTorrent. Malware gets its name by combing two other terms: Malicious Software. It can also be used as an umbrella term used to describe many Different types of attacks, and it could mean any software that is used by an Attacker to create access to a target’s data, block them from their data, or change Information on their computer. Furthermore, a key logger is yet another type of malicious program, and as you Might have guessed its sole purpose is to log the keystrokes of the user who has been infected. This is absolutely disastrous for the target user because an Attacker will be able to record and view every single key that the target types on Their host system. This includes usernames and passwords, Google searches, Private instant messaging conversations, and even payment card data. If an Attacker has successfully installed a key logger; the target is at the mercy of the Attacker. There’s no telling what the attacker could do next – they could hack into the target system by using the information they gathered such as usernames and passwords, steal money using their payment card data, or use their host System to carry out attacks on other hosts on the same network. Next, you should also be familiar with the idea of a rootkit. Rootkits are Extremely dangerous because they serve to edit background processes to hide the malicious activities of an attacker. This will help viruses, key Loggers, and other malicious codes exist for extended periods without Detection on the target system. They can even serve to hide software that would Have been otherwise detected and quarantined by security software. Last but not least is the infamous Trojan horse, sometimes called a Trojan virus or a backdoor virus. They are extremely problematic because they can be slipped into innocent-looking applications, and they are very hard to detect without the Right security software. There could even be a Trojan horse lurking in the depths of your personal computer right now, and they are frequently used to gain Complete control of a target system. Now that you have a basic understanding of the different types of malicious code Hackers employ to do their bidding; you should know about some of the largest and most famous computer viruses of all time. Some of them are actually other types of malicious code such as Trojan horses, but people still refer to them as Viruses. Any expert hacker will have heard of these famous attacks before, so You should know them as well. Also, if you get the inkling to try your hand at using one of these methods on Your own by hunting around on the Internet for freely distributable code that will allow you to attack a target system, just know that you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Humorously enough, some hacking newbies try to find rootkits and Key loggers to attack hosts. But here’s the catch – some hackers actually Facilitate their attack by taking advantage of people who want access to these types of programs. And the end result isn’t pretty. In the end, the newbie hacker might actually Install an expert hacker’s virus and unknowingly infect their own operating System! And don’t forget that there are ethical and legal implications as well. Many, if not all, of the people responsible for these famous attacks, were severely Punished. So don’t try to research and implement these types of viruses at home!