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Overview of Virus and Trojans

June 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Anti-virus software applications are very helpful in analyzing the virus and its threats. The users planning to buy any software applications should consider various package and select an application that offers maximum level of protection. An individual must understand that all viruses differ in their causes and threats. There are two main types of threats that affect most of the systems: Trojans and boot virus.

Trojan is a benign application and they are equally destructive when compared to virus. Trojans never replicate, but they trick the computer user to open it by posing as an application from the legitimate source. Most Trojans are annoying applications as they repeat some sound repeatedly, displays graphics, or even change the desktop. Some Trojans delete or damage any files and few even open a backdoor for many malicious applications and unauthorized users. This way, they become the threat to confidential and personal information.

The main target of most viruses and malicious codes is to damage the computer hard disk’s boot sector that has the program code of the operating system. The goals of this virus are propagation and replication. These virus normally attacks the system before booting up and even starts before any other application in the system starts working. Boot virus runs automatically whenever the system is booted. These virus are normally spread through exchange disks. Some of the popular viruses are boot virus, disk killer, form, and stoned. Most popular Trojans are Trojan.Emcodec.B and Trojan.Realsearch. Among these Trojans, Trojan.Realsearch always alert with false messages about the infected machine.

 

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The Dangers and Annoyance of Mal-ware

February 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are many malicious sources online that pose potential dangers to a computer. Whether an unsuspecting email account holder inadvertently opens an attached file and installs it on their computer without knowing it is a virus, or someone stumbles upon a web site that presents a barrage of pop-ups containing viruses; there are many things that can wreak havoc on your computer. However, one of the more common associations with dangers and overall annoyance pertains to mal-ware programs. These programs are becoming more prevalent in the modern Internet, and are infecting more and more people on a daily basis.

Mal-ware programs are programs designed to infect a computer, then run silently in the background for any known period of time. As it is running in the background, it tracks the users of that computers search habits and other aspects that give an indication of their interests. It then transmits these algorithms back to the source of the virus. Once that source has collected enough information, the mal-ware begins sending ads and other annoying pop-ups to the computer in which it is infecting with theoretical relevant ads. When people click on these ads, the source of the mal-ware then begins making money. The ads while annoying in their most natural form, also have detrimental effects on the system resources, and can greatly increase the amount of time in which a web page loads.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to check for mal-ware if you believe your computer has been compromised with a virus. Simply pull up the task manager and analyze the various processes that are running on your system at the current time. For the most part, many of them should be recognizable. If you do come across one that looks suspicious, look it up and determine if you can shut it down, or get rid of it without hurting anything on your machine.

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Simple Ways to Protect Your Computer While Connected to the Internet

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Windows Security Center (not antivirus softwar...

Image by xoan via Flickr

The Internet is a very popular place in today’s modern world. From the wide assortment of various activities that can be performed online; to the increasing ease of use and overall access, the Internet is quickly becoming a basis of our culture and lives. However, with the positivity that the Internet presents, there are also dangers that people who regularly utilize the Internet, and particularly those who newer to the online world, need to know prior to utilizing it. Among one of the most commonly associated issues that consistently pops up pertaining to online dangers is the prospect of getting a computer virus. Computer viruses can be caught in a number of different ways, and can do a wide range of different things to your computer.

Fortunately, there are some quick and simple things a new computer user can do to ensure their computer remains safe from the majority of dangers lurking online. The first of these items pertains to the use of a viable anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is generally a program that runs in the background of the computer, utilizing few system resources, and acts a barrier of safety, catching any potential threats that occur in real-time. Additionally, most anti-virus developers utilize automation processes within the software so that regular scans are run at scheduled times to ensure the user does not have to worry about forgetting to do so.

Secondly, and something that is commonly overlooked, is to ensure your operating system is adequately updated. Timeframes vary in terms of when updates or patches are released, but it is vital to ensure you download and install these patches as soon as possible. Not only do they fix known bugs, but they also repair any known security risks that were not known prior to the patch implementation.

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Do Not Rely Solely On Anti-Virus Software for Protection

February 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Internet is a vast and wondrous place, full of entertainment in droves of various forms. However, in conjunction with that entertainment and the large amount of people it attracts on a daily basis comes the prospect of danger. As more people turn to the Internet to find pieces of information, do shopping, and play the many available video games; more viruses are popping up to take advantage of the large and growing population. To help neutralize these threats, anti-virus software was developed to help combat the known issues that consistently plague the Internet and put users computers in jeopardy. However, the viruses that exist on the Internet currently are always evolving and morphing to adapt to the various loopholes that are left open, additionally, there are new and improved viruses popping up on a regular basis. Due to this fact, the droves of different anti-virus software that is utilized to combat these threats consistently has to be updated in order to stay ahead of the fold.

Unfortunately, anti-virus software is not the only safety net that you should utilize against viruses. This is primarily due to the fact that the software needs to be updated on a consistent basis to be effective in blocking out the many potential threats that are looming in the online world. However, not all anti-virus updates are perfect, and on many occasions, they miss plenty of areas that need attention. As a result, it is vital to ensure you do your own monitoring in conjunction to running an anti-virus program as another safety net for your computer. By checking the various processes that are running, you can easily get an idea of where your system resources are being allocated to. Additionally, if you happen to notice something that is running you do not recognize, you can investigate it further manually, giving it more attentive detail.

In all, anti-virus software is a necessity, but it is not perfect. Ensure you have other forms of virus protection to supplement your anti-virus software.

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Anti-Virus Software – Beware of Free Trials

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As the necessity for households to have at least one computer connected to the internet becomes more prevalent in modern society, more people who are unfamiliar with computers as well as the potential dangers that lurk on the internet will fall victim to various scams and viruses. Additionally, when their computer begins to hiccup a little, or run strangely, they will resort to searching online for a solution as opposed to consulting a trusted technician in person. The unfortunate potential consequence of going the online route as someone who is unfamiliar with how viruses function, how they are contracted by the computer, as well as the various problems that can persist, is that you can fall victim to the many virus software scams that pollute the internet.

The largest and most widespread problem that pertains to the above scenario is the free trial hook that many legitimate as well as illegitimate anti-virus software developers use to snag the initial interest of a potential client. These types of free trials require the downloading and installation of a specific program in order to have it perform a free comprehensive scan of your potentially damaged system. The problem lies in the fact that more times than not, these free trials are merely viruses that have been cloaked to pose as a legitimate anti-virus software. As a result of this, unsuspecting down-loaders are actually doing the hackers job for them by downloading and installing the virus onto their machine without even knowing it.

When these viruses are set loose on your machine, they can run rampant and pose many problems that are vastly more detrimental to the system than the initial problem that the download was sought for. If you are still new to the computer and internet scene, before going the route of trying out some of the many free trials available in anti-virus software, ensure you consult someone in person. The advice you receive will be much more trustworthy, and hopefully they will be able to either remedy the issue them self, or point you in the right direction.

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Signs of Sickness: Detecting a Computer Virus

January 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As destructive as computer viruses can be, you would think they would be easy to detect. In reality, they’re only easy to detect if you know the signs and symptoms of an infection. A slowed down computer might not indicate much more than a system in need of a disk cleanup, but coupled with other indicators, it may be evidence of a virus. The following list includes symptoms of a virus-contaminated machine.

  • An audible hard drive when the computer’s not in use.
  • Programs that won’t open or run properly.
  • The system jams up and restarts often.
  • One or more drives aren’t functioning.
  • Messages appear on the screen detailing various errors.
  • The printer is unresponsive.
  • There appear to be excessive files or duplicated files in your folders.

If, after analyzing your computer’s operations, you suspect a virus, there are a number of measures you can take to confirm your suspicions. Since viruses attack from the Internet, detaching your system and observing the response can inform you whether or not the Internet is the culprit. If your computer runs better disconnected from the Internet, chances are more than likely that a virus is the problem.

Another litmus test for corruption is to locate the “Add/Remove Programs” folder and check for excessive or duplicated files. A computer virus is an infection that spreads by creating reproductions of tainted files. Finding these types of files verifies the existence of a computer virus.

Most importantly, if you have anti-virus protection but have confirmed that your system is infected, examine your software. The program may somehow have been deactivated or deleted or simply was not updated enough to secure your system from relevant threats. If you do have a virus, install the latest anti-virus software and run a full scan of your system. The program should detect, and, if possible, delete the offending files. Learning to detect viruses before they spread is the key to ensuring the least amount of damage.

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Antivirus Software: Overview of the top sellers

January 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Antivirus Software: Overview of the top sellers

Your computer is a valuable asset that needs protection. Antivirus software acts as an insurance package warding off viruses, Trojans, spyware, worms, adware, and other types of malware which can do severe damage to any system.

There are many antivirus software applications on the market to help safeguard your system. Here is a list of the top products on the market and their features.

  • Webroot Antivirus 2011
    • Spyware and virus protection
    • Protecting personal information is its primary emphasis
    • Scanning and updating of application occur automatically and includes email scans
    • Interface is easy to use and well designed
    • Malware blocking and cleanup is effective, especially on scareware and rootkits.
    • Full system scan is accelerated
    • One of a kind customer service and assistance
  • BitDefender Antivirus 2011
    • File and identity protection
    • Real time scanning of system
    • Advanced warning messages concerning questionable websites
    • Complete step-by-step tutorials
    • Easy installation
    • Quick scan includes In the Cloud Technology
    • Easy to use interface
  • Kaspersky Antivirus 2011
    • Application runs in the background to not impact computer performance
    • Sensitive data is protected by a virtual keyboard
    • Protection against identity theft, virus and spyware, and rootkits and bots
    • Updates frequently
    • Offers two way firewall
    • Installation is simply and can be downloaded on even severely infected systems
    • Includes banner ad blocker
  • Norton Antivirus 2011
    • Includes Norton control center,  bootable recovery tool, and AntiRoot kit
    • Spyware, virus, and bot protection
    • Accelerated full system scans
    • Proactive performance alerts
    • Monitoring of email and instant messages
    • SONAR 2 behavioral protection
  • McAfee Antivirus 2011
    • Advanced firewall integration
    • Spyware, bot, Trojan, rootkit, worm, and IM protection
    • Two-way firewall
    • Equipped to detect and avoid phishing scam, hacker, malicious script, etc. attacks
    • Easy installation and use

When purchasing an antivirus software application keep in mind what you are looking for, read the reviews, and even utilize free trial offers before making an informed purchase.

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Antivirus And Its Role In Protecting A Computer

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

What is antivirus? This is the common question asked by many people who start using the computer as a beginner. Computers are always vulnerable to harmful programs called virus or malware or other programs as such. Is it because, computer does not have any inbuilt security to protect itself from all these harmful programs?

A harmful program such as virus or any other can get all the information it requires about the owner of the computer. Along with that it can also cause harm to the program files of the operating system and other important files of computer owner. These programs are created just to get the information about the computer it is in and send it to the user to misuse the information.

Antivirus is the only software which can stop the virus from getting into the computer. This software is built just to stop these kinds of harmful programs from getting inside the system. When any virus programs are detected by the antivirus, it will instantly delete the file so that it can prevent the file from getting the access of other files in computer.

Antivirus plays a vital role in protecting a computer. Without any antivirus, the computer can be considered as the open air for the virus to get to do whatever it wants to do. Sometimes virus can also cause harm to the hardware of the computer, so installing the antivirus program is very much recommended to all those who are having their own personal computer.

Antivirus software is available for download. It is available as free and also as paid package. In free the software, it will not have the maximum capability in detecting and deleting the virus from the computer. Full version will have the proper and full power to detect and delete the file.

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