Modeblue

What is a virus?

The term ‘virus’ and its definition may have outlived its prime. In today’s hostile computing environment, one would do better to ask, “what is malware?”

Ok, So what is malware?

Malware can be defined as any program, file, or code that performs malicious actions on the target system without the user’s express consent.
To break it down:

• Viruses infect other files;
• Worms make copies of themselves;
• Trojans perform malicious actions but do not spread;
• Malware is an all-encompassing term that describes any malicious software program or file operating without the users explicit consent.
• Rootkits are software that hackers install on your system to hide their presence.

Do I need to worry about viruses?

If you have internet connection or your PC is part of a network it is vital that you have anti virus product of some sort. For personal AV I’d recommend Kaspersky for quality and Avira or Avast for free products.

Spyware

Q.What is spyware?

A. Spyware comes in various forms, but basically it is a program or piece of information on your computer that either sends data about you or your computer habits to someone else on the Internet. This can be a company that is collecting data, or a thief seeking to steal access to your computer or data like bank information on it. Spyware can also be a program that places unwanted ads on your computer.

Q.Why is spyware bad

A. From your perspective it can slow down and crash your PC by using precious system resources like memory and hard disk space. It can also compromise your privacy, providing outsiders with information about your computer habits. If a spyware program installs a keylogger it can capture your keystrokes and send it to a third party. This can potentially expose your user IDs and passwords to thieves Some spyware are trojans which allows someone to log into your computer remotely and use it for their own purposes.

Q. How do I get rid of it?

A. There are lots of good anti-spyware programs out there. I’d recommend Webroot Spy Sweeper. (more antispyware products.) However, more and more anti-virus products are including protection from spyware or have a suite option that includes it.

Q. I have a spyware remover program but it doesn’t remove a particular type of spyware on my computer. What can I do?

A. Just like your anti-virus program, you need to update the signatures in your anti-spyware program so that it will catch new spyware programs that are released. Go into the spyware program and see if it has a method to update these.

Q. My Internet Explorer has been hijacked (ie my home page cannot be changed from a site that I don’t want). What can I do?

A. We recommend that you download the free program called HijackThis and manually remove the spyware that is hijacking your browser. Here’s a step by step article on how to.