Whenever we install something new on our computer, there are high chances that viruses or hacking could happen. This we don’t do deliberately, but we have to be careful and not let these things happen. Two things will affect your computer. The first one is Ransomware which is very dangerous, and the other one is Malware. Comparing to ransomware, it is not very dangerous.
Ransomware vs Malware
The main difference between Ransomware and Malware is that when your system gets affected by ransomware, it will attack all your files unless you pay the person who attacked it. Malware is a type of virus, and it has many names which will attack your personal computers and your computer systems.
Ransomware is like a virus that will affect your personal computer. You have to be very careful when you are opening any emails or using any public site. Once you find if your system got corrupted by these people, then you should first find some steps to remove. But removing ransomware is very difficult. So, people will pay these people to get rid of them.
Malware is a virus that will affect your systems. Sometimes it could be dangerous if you have any confidential or very important files in your system. So, the basic step followed by people is to have antivirus software in their systems that will protect them from these types of software. Some incidents will happen if your system got affected by malware.
Comparison Table Between Ransomware and Malware
| Parameters of Comparison | Ransomware | Malware |
| Definition | It is software that helps to block access unless if the ransom fee is paid | It is mainly designed to cause damage to others personal computer or network |
| Types | 2 | 4 |
| Delivery | Emails that contain malicious attachments | Email, USB, and Software installations |
| Impact | It will attack the system, and the impact will be high | Commodity malware will help to control the data and the resources |
| Removal | It is very difficult to remove | Antivirus can remove this easily |
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malware that will attack your personal computer and restrict all your access unless you pay some amount of money to get rid of that. This type of technique has been followed for many years, and the main motive behind this is getting money from people by displaying some alerts on their screens. It will threaten and block your system.
This will be caused to your system when you open any spam or phishing emails on your system. People most likely respond to these emails, and the percentage of people who respond to these emails is 54%. People who are having lack cyber security training will also open them, and the percentage of people who open is 26%. The next set of people who open are having any weak access to their password or having poor access management will also get them, and the percentage of them is 21%.
To get rid of ransomware attacks, people usually pay the person who attacked so that they can recover all their files. But paying itself will not give you the exact guarantee that the person who attacked will give back all your files. You should be more careful and confirm whether you got everything back. But FBI does not support people paying for these people. Also, remember if you are using public wifi be careful because it will spread through that as well.
What is Malware?
Malware is mainly designed to destroy computers and computer systems. This will just cause damage to standalone computers or PCs. This malware can be of any type, so people will call it using different names. But the only good thing about this is even if your system gets affected, you don’t have to pay money to the person. Instead, antivirus software will kill malware.
There are even some simple steps available to remove malware as well. You can disconnect your personal computer from the internet connection. While using any site, always use safe mode so that any problem will be detected. Don’t login into unnecessary accounts. Try to refrain from that method as much as possible if you have any temporary files delete them immediately after use. Install a malware scanner and run that whenever you open any new files on your system.
Whatever web browser you are using, always fix them. And the last method is you can clear your cache memory. These are some common steps followed by people to remove malware from their systems. If these didn’t work out and you still face any issues, then buy antivirus software, and everything will be back to normal again. Malware can also steal your personal and confidential information if you are not careful.
Main Differences Between Ransomware and Malware
- Ransomware is a type of malware, and it will affect personal computers, and you have to pay the person who attacked it. Malware is a type of virus, and it will attack your computer and computer systems.
- There are four 2 types of ransomware available. On the other hand, there are 4 types of malware available.
- Your system will get affected by ransomware through some emails. On the other hand, your system will be affected by malware using emails, software installations, and even some new things you try out.
- If your system got affected by ransomware, then the impact will be serious, and it will follow you for a long. But malware impact is not much serious, and you don’t have to stick to it for long.
- Removing ransomware is not an easy task. But removing malware is easy. You can do it with the help of antivirus.
Conclusion
These two things can happen anytime. So, you have to be careful whenever you do something new to your system. Also, there are some preliminary measures available on the internet, and you can follow them so that you can add some security to your system because one small mistake by opening a spam email will lead to many difficulties.
You can pay these people to stop, but it does not come with any guarantee. They might do the same thing again, and we can’t keep on paying them for our system safety. So, it is better to follow some safety measures beforehand to get rid of these problems.
References
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8433199/
- https://labs.f-secure.com/assets/resourceFiles/mwri-behavioural-ransomware-detection-2017-04-5.pdf