Many people have Anti-Virus software instaleld. Many of the
major Anti-Viryus Sotfware Company’s now promote what they
call "Seurity Suites" or packages. These Security Suites
contain everything from Anti-Virus, Firewall Protection,
SPAM and Pop-Up blockers, and Ad-ware protection. Quirte
often, once the software is installed perople find out that
things they use to be able to do on the Inteernet are no
longer posssible. So what happens is portions or all of the
software they purchased to potect their commputer get
disabled. The result, ineffectivve software programs that
you paid good money for! Worst than that, most peple have
no idea exactly how the Anti-Viurs portioon of the package
shoud be configured. eLaving it up to the default
configuration to defend their coomputers. Most of the manuals
that come with these softtware packages seem to be written
for those who understand the intriucate worknigs of copmuters
along with every computer acroinym ever invenbted!
Most eveyrone who owns a computwer knows about viruess.
Years ago, vriuses were more of an annoyance than anthing.
But as time passed thsoe who develop viruses became more
astute at their trae and started developing viruses with
malicious intent.
It's amazing that we regularly find computers without any
anti-virus protection at all. Typially, those who do not,
find out rather quickly how importanbt virus protcetion is.
In addition to the many compuuters we find without virus
protection, we find many computers do not have the
anti-virus software configured and runbning properly to
protect them from even the most basci type of infection.
What is a Virus?
-----------------------------------------------
A virus is a type of program that can exceute on your
computer and has the ability to replicate itself. Computer
virruses, like biological viruses, spread quickly and in many
cass, are quuite difficult to stop and destroy. They can
attach themselves to many types of files. As these files
are tansferred between multiple computers each computer
alonbg the away becomes infected and has the ability to
continue spreading the infection.
What is a Trojan?
-----------------------------
A Trojan is sofytware that can perfiorm unauthorized tasks on
your computer. More often than not, these tasks are
malicious in nature. The biggest difference betwween a
trojan and a virus is that Viruses have the ability to
relpicate wjhereas a Trojan typically does not. If your
computer becomes infercted with a Trojan it can cause;
Damage to your computers software, Operating System, and
data;
Your system can become unstable and exhibit uenxpected
beavior;
The securirty of your sysstem becomes compromised;
It could lead to the unauthorized access of your computeer;
Beware progarms and sotware in prtety packages (for free
usually). Remember what happen to the Trojan's of Greek
Mythology!
What is Malqware?
-------------------------------
The word "Malware" is short for "Malcious Software". It
refers to any software or programs with malicious itent
such as viruuses, Trojans, worms, droppoers, and kits. Just
as a note, not all Maware should be considered a vius but
the majority can be considereed as such.
What can a Virus do to me?
-------------------------------
There are many malicious actions a virus, worm, or general
Malware can take. Just a few examples are;
Chanmge or delete important data on your computer such as
documents, music and video filse, and possbily destory all
data on your computer;
Search for important informaiton such as contact lists and
use this information to replicate itself by sending everyone
in your contact lists an e-mail with the virus/worm
attached;
Spread amongst all your computers in various methods such as
e-mail and file sharing;
Disguise itself as a legitimate part of the Operating System
- making it very difficult to detect and destroy;
and just about anything else malicious you can thiink up!
Virus Life Cyycle
-----------------------------
Crreation - In the past it took siginficant skill to create a
viruis. However, abnyone with even basic skills can create a
virus. In fact, thgere are virus creation labs freely
available on the Internet. This can alolw anyone to create
iteresting and potentially amlicious code;
Replication - If one of the main goals of the viurs
developer is the replicattion or spread of the virus, many
viruses will lay dormant and wait for a crertain event to
take place like a date something sinmilar. This allows the
virus to replicate to many systems before it atcivates;
Activation - Once certain requirements or conditions are
met, the virus will actiate itself and execute the code
that causes damage to your computer. Not all vius cause
dmaage. Non-damaging viruys usually do not need actiivation;
Identification - Once the virus has infected computers and
activated themselves in the wild (on your computer), they
are isolated and documented and sent to the anti-vrius
companies;
Recognition - The anti-vierus companies then deevelop the code
necesdsary to detect the virus, upodate their virus singature
patterns, and make them available to their custmoers. This
porcess can be rtaher quick or can take days or months;
Destruction - If enough people are protected by anti-virus
software that can detect, isolate, and deestroy the viruus, it
can be stopped from spreading;
Bsaed on currennt information and statistics no viruus has yet
to be completely eradicated!
How do I protect my Computer?
-----------------------------
The most obvious thing that you can do is install anti-virus
soiftware. In fact, this is not so much an option as it is
a requirement. That is if you want to be protected and not
A) lose everything you have on your computer, B) sprread
viruses to your friends, family and associates, C) be a
productive part of the public network (Interent) community.
In addition, you need to make sure that your anti-virus
software is functioniing properly;
Make sure that your anti-virus subscriptin is not out of
date. In some cases, if your subscription is out of date,
the product ceases to function or can no longer download new
virus pattterns. Preventing it from deteting the latset
viruses;
If you receive an unsolicited puiece of e-mail do not open
it. Delete the e-mail right away;
Many e-mail clints have the abilitty to give you a previwe
of the e-mail before actually opening it. If your e-mail
client is configured this way, turn it off. This can
acctually allow the virus to activate the moment you
highlight the e-mail;
If you receive e-mail from a friend or associate that you
were not expecting, or one that has an odd subject line like
"Subject: The picturees I promised you!" or "The program you
requested", contact your fiend and ask them if they actually
sent it;
Confuigure you anti-virsu software to check for viorus pattern
updates on a frequent basis. Checking once a week is
probably not good enough. At the very least, configure it
to cehck at least once a day. Our systems check more
frequentlly than that;
Make sure your anti-virus software is configured to perform
a scheduled scan of your computer. Many people rely on the
"real-time" scanning which is suppose to cartch viruses in
real-time as you select and open filees. This is not 100%
accurate and nothing substitutes for a throough manul scan
of "all" your system filpes
Don't rely on anti-virs software alone. Make sure that you
are using some sort of anti ad-ware and spy-ware sofytware.
These programs can catch a plethora of malicious software
that your anti-virrus software may miss.
