New Type of Malware is "Fileless"

Offering further evidence of the ability of cyberattackers to adapt their methods, a new "fileless" form has been discovered by a Russian computer security company.

According to Kapersky Lab, the malware does not behave like a traditional virus. Instead of embedding itself in the target's hard drive, it is injected into the computer's memory. This makes the malware much more difficult for anti-virus programs to detect and eradicate. 

Once installed on the target computer's memory, the malware initiates several different processes with the ultimate goal of disabling user account control.

Evolving malware is not a new phenomenon. However, many reports have noted that cyberattackers seem to be adapting at a faster rate than cybersecurity countermeasures. In addition to increasing their focus on mobile devices, hackers are increasingly utilizing phishing and spear-phishing techniques to gain access to individuals' sensitive information. As this new piece of malware demonstrates, hackers continue to develop new methods for circumventing existing anti-virus programs.

Because of the havoc that malware can cause on a vulnerable computer, experts recommend individuals take steps to protect themselves from threats. For example, it is extremely important that individuals educate themselves to know what warning signs should raise red flags. Such indicators include an unusually slow-running computer, unexplained computer crashes or restarts, applications failing to run correctly and unusual error messages. If any of these events occur, experts recommend that the individuals run anti-virus scans.

Additionally, it is important for all internet users to be wary of common forms of malware. This can be difficult, as some malware is very successful at mimicking legitimate programs. For example, numerous malware programs are designed to resemble legitimate anti-virus warnings. In these cases, the cyberattackers hope to scare users into downloading a "solution" which is actually a virus. To avoid falling victim to this type of attack, users should always resist downloading any program they are unfamiliar with, even if it seems legitimate.