Malware and Antivirus Flashcards

What distinguishes a worm from a virus in terms of propagation?

Answer: Worms can self-replicate and spread across networks without user interaction, while viruses require a host file and user action to spread

Unlike viruses that attach to files and require user action to spread, worms are self-replicating malware that can propagate automatically across networks by exploiting vulnerabilities.

What is a rootkit and why is it particularly dangerous?

Answer: Malware that hides deep within the operating system to conceal its presence and the presence of other malware

A rootkit embeds itself deep in the operating system—sometimes at the kernel level—to hide malicious activity from security software and users, making detection and removal extremely difficult.

What is heuristic-based malware detection?

Answer: Detection that analyzes code behavior and structure to identify potentially malicious programs even without a known signature

Heuristic analysis examines the behavior patterns and code characteristics of programs to detect potentially malicious software, even if it hasn't been previously identified and cataloged.

What is a fileless malware attack?

Answer: Malware that operates entirely in memory without writing persistent files to disk, evading traditional file-scanning antivirus

Fileless malware resides in RAM and uses legitimate system tools like PowerShell or WMI, avoiding detection by file-based antivirus scanners that look for malicious files on disk.

Why is it important to keep antivirus signature databases up to date?

Answer: New malware is constantly being created, and updated signatures allow the antivirus to recognize and block the latest threats

Hundreds of thousands of new malware variants emerge daily, and signature updates contain the latest threat definitions needed to detect and block these newly identified threats.

What is a potentially unwanted program (PUP)?

Answer: Software that may not be explicitly malicious but exhibits undesirable behaviors such as displaying ads, changing browser settings, or tracking users

PUPs are programs that users may not have intentionally installed and that exhibit behaviors like displaying unwanted ads, modifying browser settings, or collecting user data without clear consent.