ListenThe threat of malware, viruses, spyware, worms, etc. is something that we have to deal with on a regular basis. We have to constantly upgrade our devices, and it seems just as we get them up to date another batch of maladies makes its way through. This week on The Malliard Report, Jim welcomes for the final show of 2017 Trip Elix to discuss computer exploitation, protecting yourself, and finally explaining what the actual difference between a virus, malware, worms, and spywares really is.
Trip Elix a former hacker turned author and personal advocate has started the ItsMyInfo.org campaign to help people keep their information out of the distributing hands of the large data mining companies. Trip goes into detail about which companies are the biggest culprits of harvesting your information, how they acquire it, and to whom they distribute the information. It is very disturbing to say the least.
Malware, virus, spyware all seem to be words that are used interchangeably on a regular basis however, the three are all very different from each other. Trip does a good job explaining what these differences actually are. First there is Malware. Malware is a generic term used for malicious software. This could encompass any virus, worm, spyware, type program designed to cause harm to your PC. A virus is a program that continues to copy itself and spreads from one file to another, then eventually from computer to computer once those files are shared. Virus are often found on executable files and only serve one purpose: to cause problems and break things…sounds like some people I know. Spyware is any software that is installed on your PC that collects and sends information to the creator of that program. This could be anything from logging passwords, search histories, credit card numbers, etc. Ironically we shun this when people use it for a “nefarious” purpose, but when large companies do this exact thing, everything is just fine. Much like viruses, worms cause havoc and destruction however worms move across networks and are able to reach larger targets than a particular virus.
Trip also provides great information on ways to protect yourself form a number of these threats, how to maintain a low online profile, and much more, but still barely scratches the surface of the tip of the iceberg. You find all of his information on his websites www.itsmyinfo.org and www.tripelix.com or follow him on Twitter @trip_elix Of course you can find all things Malliard at www.malliard.com and Twitter @Malliard. Follow and share the show!
