Difference between Ransomware and Malware

The ability to do business online can be critical to your success. Unfortunately, the same digital connections that benefit your company—your website, email, and/or social media—can also leave you open to attack by cyber criminals. Protecting your online presence depends on understanding and avoiding threats like ransomware and malware.

What Is Malware?

Malware—shorthand for “malicious software”—is specifically designed to give criminals access to confidential or personal information via your desktop, laptop, or smartphone. Types of malware include viruses, adware, and spyware.

Viruses are snippets of code that copy themselves over and over, infecting your system and destroying data.

Adware is software that either downloads or displays unwanted ads whenever you go online.

Spyware gives intruders covert access to personal information stored on your hard drive—passwords, social security number, or bank account numbers, for example.

What About Ransomware?

The following ransomware definition may be helpful: Ransomware is type of malware specifically designed to freeze you out of your computer, files, and/or network until you pay the demanded ransom, usually in bitcoin, an encrypted digital currency that can be transferred independently of any bank. Last year, ransomware attacks rose 350 percent worldwide over the previous year.

According to Kim Zetter of Wired Magazine, ransomware has been around since 2005, but savvy attackers have now added a new twist to their malware with ransom cryptware. Basically, cryptware uses a key known only to the hacker to encrypt your files and lock you out.

The ransoms demanded are rarely high, because the “kidnapper” wants you to pay as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, as Kate O’Flaherty of Forbes points out, not all thieves honor their end of the deal. Wiper malware starts as ransomware, but your files remain encrypted, even after you’ve paid.

How Do You Avoid Malware and Ransomware?

Understanding the ways malware and ransomware are delivered—and making sure your employees understand them as well—is key to avoiding infection. The pathways malicious software can take into your system include:

Phishing and smishing

• Phishing and smishing. Emails (phishing) and text messages (smishing) containing links and attachments are favored malware and ransomware delivery vehicles.

Social media scams

• Social media scams. Malware spread via social media—shared Facebook posts, links provided in direct messages and Tweets—is becoming increasingly common.

Malicious websites

• Malicious websites. Websites offering free downloads of music, fonts, games, etc., are prime vehicles for malware and ransomware.

There are, of course, other ways to protect yourself and ensure network security. Tips from cyber security experts include regularly updating your operating system and antivirus software, creating secure password protocols and instituting two-factor authentication, employee training, and restricting downloads on company computers to licensed sites. Regularly backing up data in a separate location will circumvent any attempt to lock you out.

If you are attacked by ransomware, Inc. Magazine recommends you take six steps within 30 minutes: alert your IT department, isolate your computer from the network, have your IT department gather evidence for law enforcement, wipe your hard drive and restore your files from your backup, and review your security protocols.