MALWARE: POLYMORPHIC & METAMORPHIC

 

MALWARE: POLYMORPHIC & METAMORPHIC

Malware, as we know, can arrive in multiple ways. There are many threats that we can find when surfing the net. We also have at our disposal multiple security programs and tools with which to protect ourselves. However, not all types of malware are equally dangerous. We can find ransomware, key loggers, and cryptocurrency miners. Today we are going to talk about polymorphic and metamorphic malware. We are going to explain why they can be so dangerous and also give some interesting tips to protect ourselves.

What Is Polymorphic Malware?

When we talk about polymorphic malware, we mean that one that has a "core" that always acts in the same way. It doesn't matter how many times it changes. He always performs the same actions and always attacks in the same way. Mind you, it keeps modifying the rest of your code to keep your goals up to date.

Polymorphic malware may be a bit easier to identify than metamorphic malware, which we'll talk about now. This is so since the kernel can be detected to identify malware.

This type of threat can affect a system and, once it has achieved its objective, that computer would generate a new variety of malware. They could even change the name if it is an e-mail that is sent automatically. Yet the core remains the same.

What Is Metamorphic Malware?

For its part, metamorphic malware is much more dangerous. Whereas the polymorph has a detectable core, the metamorphic malware tries to reorganize all its code with each iteration. This means that it works in a similar way, but each act adds different elements to the code. Also different functions rearranged so that it looks different and is much more difficult to detect.

There is nothing more dangerous than a type of malware that is difficult to detect. If we are not able to know what type of threats we have, it will be difficult for us to eliminate it and save our system.

These are the 5 most common malware distribution methods so you can protect yourself

According to experts, this type of malware is increasingly present in artificial intelligence. This means that it can reach many more devices and become a really serious problem for our day to day. That is why it is more dangerous.

As we can imagine, computer security companies are trying their best to find a way to deal with metamorphic malware. New products that can help combat these types of problems.

 

How Can We Protect Ourselves From These Types Of Threats?

As we have mentioned, it is a more dangerous variety due to the fact that it is difficult to detect. That is why common sense is vital more than ever. Know how to anticipate possible problems that compromise security. Do not download files from unofficial or untrustworthy sites, avoid opening spam emails that may contain malware, etc.

Similarly, it is important to keep our systems updated. Vulnerabilities sometimes emerge and are exploited by cybercriminals. The manufacturers themselves release security patches to avoid this.

Finally, always having a good antivirus and other security programs and tools also helps prevent threats.