Information about Malware

What is Malware?

There are many types of Malware. All gain unathorized access to your computer or disrupt normal operations. Some programs are blended, performing more than one type of harm. Read this detailed description of the different types of malware Here is a summary of different malware types:

• A virus is a program that runs without you launching it, and reproduces itself on your computer. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/v/virus.html ) Most viruses can attach themselves to other programs. The only way to get a new virus is to get a new file, but you get new files constantly through web downloads, email attachments and many other ways. Anti-virus programs protect you with both scans of your disk and scans of any new entries to your disk, like e-mail attachments.
• A worm is a malicious program that will spread to other computers without the user's knowledge. They can enter your computer through browser and operating system security holes, as email attachments, email links, itstand messaging links or pop-up ads, as well as through any file that is added to your system. A mass-mailing work will send itself to everyone in your address book. Some even infect mobile phones.
• A trojan does not replicate itself. Instead, it masquerades as a useful utility or program, but actually performs another unintended function. They might steal keystrokes or open a back door so someone can look at the contents of your computer.
• A bot (sort of short for robot) is an intelligent agent that can be a good program. It can automate a task and run automatically when it is scheduled. Bots can be set to get their instructions from another computer, in which case, they are called zombies. Bots can help with linking up many computers together to form a botnet. The computing power of those linked computers can be used to do any task the hacker wants.
• A Spyware program collects personal information from your computer and sends it back to its own site. It can collect innocuous information such as your web surfing habits, or it can collect financial and password information. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/s/spyware.html) An anti-spyware program (such as spybot) will protect against spyware. Often download agreements tell you that spyware is being included in the program, but these are not read.
• Adware is a form of spyware that is less dangerous. It displays advertisements, but uses your computer resources. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/a/adware.html). Lavasoft's ad-aware is great for removing these. A pop-up stopper will treat the symptom, which is good too. Pop-up stoppers do not stop the adware from running and using memory, just from popping.

Fighting these problems:

• Anti-virus protection is necessary.
  • Macintosh considers virus protection to be their problem, so they essentially have an updating anti-virus program built into their operating system. Because of this, Macintosh computers do not need a separate anti-virus program.
  • For Windows systems (of at least Windows 7), turn on Windows Defender if you have no other virus program.
  • New problems are being created, so yesterday's fighting tools are not good enough. All anti-virus, anti-spyware or anti-adware programs need to be updated daily. Most come with buttons to help you connect to the internet for updates before scanning.
• Additional adware protection is helpful:
  • One program will not protect you. Having one anti-virus running will not protect your computer, as their focus is often only virus and not spyware or adware. You don't have to pay for all these. The free scanners are often adequate.
• For Windows Systems, turn on Windows Updates:
  • Microsoft closes security openings as they are discovered, so it is crucial to run the Windows Update option and install all the "critical" or "security" updates. They take a long time, so be prepared.
• Backups are crucial. Expect that you will be hit by either software or hardware problems eventually. Keep your install disks safely accessible for that emergency. Backup regularly.You can install a free backup manager such as cobian's backup installer.
• Never give financial information as a result of clicking on an email link or a link from another site: Phishing convinces users that a site or email is legitimate in order to provoke the user to enter confidential information, often from ebay, paypal, online shopping sites and banks. Go directly to the company's web site first. You can also call the company and verify the request is legitimate.
• Do not say yes to installing malware: When you download software, you can accidentally install unwanted software by agreeing to install it without meaning to. Be very careful about what you say "yes" to during an installation, and never install by clicking an unsolicited link from an email. Search the internet for information on how many people are downloading that same program. Read this guide for more instructions on how to avoid misleading download advertisement links and avoid installing unwanted software.

• If an email asks you to delete a file, verify that the email is not a hoax by searching for a portion of the message on http://www.snopes.com/
• Scans often take a long time. Run them overnight when possible.
• When your system acts up (or rather slows down), it could be bad hardware. To check your hard disk, you can run a disk scan, and then you can also defragment it (which means that you put all the file parts together so that data isn't scattered). Click here for instructions on how to find these tools in windows. Click here for instructions on how to find these tools on a Mac.
• When your system slows down, you can also check the processes in your task list. (To see the task list, hit <CTRL> <ALT> <DEL> and then hit the "processes" tab.) What you want to see there depends upon what you have loaded in your system, but you may also see alot of unwanted processes. You can copy each of the process names into google to see whether it belongs to a program you want running. The Tech Guy Support Forum is a great place to ask for help if you are stuck on removing a certain process.
• Guides to some free tools:
  • http://www.freebyte.com/antivirus/
  • systemtools.htm
  • Your ISP (Verizon, Cablevision) may also offer some free tools. Call them to find out.