Malspam (malicious spam) is unsolicited bulk email that delivers malware, either through an attachment, such as a fake invoice or a macro-enabled document, or through a link that downloads the malicious code. Unlike phishing, which usually aims to steal credentials or data, malspam aims to infect the device. It is a common entry point for banking trojans, infostealers and ransomware.
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malicious spam, malware spam, malicious email attachments, malspam campaign, email-borne malware
Related terms
MTD (mobile threat defense)
Mobile threat defense (MTD) is technology that protects phones and tablets by detecting malicious apps, unsafe Wi-Fi networks, phishing links and vulnerable or modified operating systems. It complements MDM (mobile device management): MDM enforces policies while MTD assesses device risk, so a compromised device can lose access to corporate email until it is remediated.
Banking trojan
A banking trojan is malware that poses as a legitimate app or file to steal online banking credentials, card data and verification codes. It often displays fake screens on top of the real banking app or logs what the user types. For example, a fake package-delivery app for Android that requests accessibility permissions so it can read incoming text messages.
Wiper malware
Wiper malware is a type of malicious software designed to destroy data irreversibly by overwriting files, disks or the MBR (master boot record) so that machines become unusable. Unlike ransomware, it does not seek a ransom, although it sometimes poses as ransomware, as NotPetya did in 2017. The main defense is isolated or immutable backups that are tested regularly.
Polymorphic and metamorphic virus
A polymorphic virus is malware that changes its appearance with each infection, typically by encrypting its code with a different key and altering the routine that decrypts it, so every copy looks different while doing the same thing. A metamorphic virus goes further and rewrites its entire code each time. Both aim to evade signature-based antivirus, which matches known code patterns.
Boot sector virus
A boot sector virus is a type of malware that infects the area of a disk a computer reads at startup, such as the MBR (master boot record), so it loads before the operating system. It once spread through floppy disks and USB drives; its modern variants, known as bootkits, target UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware.
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