Malware Virus: NCC warned Smartphone Users In Nigeria

Smartphone users have been warned by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to beware of malware virus, an app fraudsters use to defraud users in Nigeria.

According to director general of NCC, Smartphone users should be cautious and download app from the right source to avoid being defrauded.

In this post, we are looking at the meaning of Malware Virus, types and its prevention in a very simplified diction.

Malware Virus is a “short for malicious software, a blanket term for viruses, worms, trojans and other harmful computer programs hackers use to wreak destruction and gain access to sensitive information”

As Microsoft puts it, “[malware] is a catch-all term to refer to any software designed to cause damage to a single computer, server, or computer network.” In other words, software is identified as malware based on its intended use, rather than a particular technique or technology used to build it.

Types of malware

Basically, we have three subtly different ways malware can infect target computers:

1. A worm is a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer.

2   A virus is a piece of computer code that inserts itself within the code of another standalone program, then forces that program to take malicious  action and spread itself.

3. A trojan is a program that cannot reproduce itself but masquerades as something the user wants and tricks them into activating it so it can do its damage and spread.

Malware can also be installed on a computer “manually” by the attackers themselves, either by gaining physical access to the computer or using privilege escalation to gain remote administrator access.

Prevention of Malware

In a simple language, malware can be prevented by making sure your email systems are locked down tight—and your users know how to spot danger.

It is recommended that a combination of carefully checking attached documents and restricting potentially dangerous user behavior.

Secondly, it is advisable to keep all your systems patched and updated. That is by keeping an inventory of hardware from performing continuous vulnerability assessments on your infrastructure. In other words, keep backups of your files and ensuring that your hard drive is free from encrypted or corrupted.

Experts have recommended that the current best antivirus software is from vendors like Kaspersky Lab, Symantec and Trend Micro, according to recent tests by AV-TEST.

Other deep security offerings are products from Cylance, CrowdStrike, and Carbon Black.

In summary, Nigerian smartphone users should be more careful in downloading apps. If they should do, they are advised to go to the right and tenable source or sources to avoid being defrauded. Be warned!