Mitigating the Dangers of Malware

Malware, sometimes conflated with electronic “spam,” has long been a commonly used tactic by ill-intentioned cyberactors, geared toward targets that range from hyper-protected government bodies to student email accounts. Whether in the form of a disguised malicious link or imposturous phishing email, malware can expose users to computer viruses, stolen data or even identity theft. “Malware has several avenues it has to use in order to properly work,” explains ISACA^® security expert Dustin Brewer in the “Managing Malware Threats” episode of the ISACA Podcast.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the malware problem, as attackers pose as authorities from public health departments in an attempt to use social engineering to gain access to private data. False promises of access to a virus vaccine lure unsuspecting users, prompting them to surrender personal information. “Malware is largely based upon user interaction,” Brewer says. “It is an exploitation of human behavior.”

In the “Managing Malware Threats” podcast, Brewer and ISACA security expert Frank Downs, discuss different types of malware, how it can spread and how to stop the spread. “Attackers are doing their best to predict what you want to see,” says Downs. He and Brewer recommend mindfully evaluating links in terms of who sent them and why they did so.

To listen to this podcast and learn more about keeping malware at bay, visit the Managing Malware Threats page of the ISACA website or stream it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Podbean, Spotify or Stitcher.