Businesses own many valuable assets like customer databases, working capital, trade secrets and product designs that are all accessible through computers. Malicious computer software or malware can take control of a victim's computer so that threat actors can seize assets, and potentially extort money.

There are many types of malware that attackers use to commit cyber crimes. Here are just a few: worms that move around systems by themselves, Trojans that hide in files like Word documents, and ransomware that locks up files until the victim pays the attacker a ransom. The threat of malware is getting worse.

Cyber criminals and state-run cyberwarfare units are developing new malware programs. This creates a threat environment in which dangerous malware can quickly spread to organizations around the world. Examples of these advanced cyber attacks are the WannaCry, NotPetya, and Bad Rabbit. These malware attacks used either real ransomware or wipers that look like ransomware, which destroyed victims' data.

Malware attacks like these are completely preventable. Endpoint security can stop malware at the point of entry. Advanced threat prevention analyzes data traffic for malware at the processor level and at the operating system level, and can identify and block malware before it enters a network. In addition, anti-bot security can disrupt ransomware and other bot attacks if they should get past other security controls.

Read our malware attack prevention guide to understand how malware attacks work and how you can prevent them from harming your organization. In our guide you'll learn:

  • Past and current threats that can affect your organization
  • How to assess if your network is vulnerable to cyber attacks
  • Discover how to test your current defenses against cyber attacks