![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Security Information |
|
![]() |
Lets Talk About Antivirus Software!
Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A lot of them use it at their work place, but an increasing number of computer users have also discovered the need to have a computer at home. At the same time the number of Internet surfers increased. This is a good thing because people are realizing the advantages offered by the world of technology. As soon as they discover this, they start using computers and the Internet more and more, but at the same time not considering the threats that are coming in from all sides. They should know that if you don't protect yourself, nobody will. These threats are now coming from everywhere and they are growing in number and complexity. First threats of this kind were the viruses. At first, viruses were not that harmful. They were designed to perform a simple task, like flashing a single message onto the user's computer screen. Also the spread rate was slow, because not many people were connected to the Internet. But now the majority of viruses are programs intentionally written to obstruct with, or harm other programs or computer systems. And they are spreading very fast. Many companies and people have had a lot of troubles because of these viruses. And so the need for antivirus software was born. At first one very simple antivirus appeared and this was enough. Now, as the threat is growing antivirus software are becoming a lot more complex. Some of them have also included a firewall so to better protect the users. In order to increase the competition, other antivirus software producers have also come up with a wonderful idea: to offer free scan online. This was a big help for people that are frequently using a computer mostly for their personal use, meaning it is not attached to a network and uses the Internet only from time to time. Now, they don't have to spend a lot of money to buy antivirus software that will be used very rarely. Most of these antivirus programs have to be bought in order for you to use them at their full capacity. Also you have the option to test a so called "free trial version". These trial versions include all or most of the software's features, and are available to be checked out by the user for a short period of time, usually 30 days. After these 30 days, the program can no longer be used. Other antivirus software producers use another method; they offer a free trial version that you can keep forever. But it is not fully operational, meaning some of the options of the program cannot be used as they are not activated. After you have tried a program and you consider it is fit for your need, then you'll have to buy it to protect your computer at its full capacity. Lately, viruses are mostly spread through e-mails because this is the most common use of the Internet. Also, e-mail viruses are easier to develop. E-mail viruses make use of the ability of having macros or scripts implanted in word documents, spreadsheets, HTML pages, and are programmed to run when the document is opened. But how does an e-mail virus works? When an e-mail with an infected document or program is received, the user unknowingly opens a document/program, which in turn executes a code to open the e-mail directory and to send a copy of itself as an e-mail attachment to a certain number of addresses. Some of the recipients of the e-mail open its attachment and the process repeats itself. This is where the antivirus program comes in. This program is set to check all incoming and outgoing messages and their attachments. If an e-mail is detected to have a document or program infected with a virus the program offers several possibilities to deal with the threat: delete the e-mail, put it in quarantine or try to disinfect it. Most of the times, these choices are left to the user's decision. It is up to the user to set the program in such manner to best fit his needs. But not all viruses are coming by e-mail. A few of them use security errors in the operating system or your Internet browser to be launched automatically. But if you keep your antivirus and all the other programs updated, there will be a small chance of being infected via this route. Nowadays, most viruses are spread in the form of e-mail attachments. This is because some of the worst recent viruses relay on recipients that throw away common sense and launch a deadly e-mail attachment. Commonly the attachments are with extensions that include .bat, .com, .exe, .pif, .scr, and .vbs. Sometimes to avoid the filters of antivirus software, virus creators enclose their malicious code in a .zip or .rar archive file. The file might even have a password to full antivirus programs that scan inside archives. And obviously, the password is included in the message as an image for the convenience of the naive user. As a simple but reliable rule, you should never open an attachment that you didn't expect to receive, even if it came from someone you know. Also, make sure your e-mail software is configured so it will not automatically open attachments. Another common way of spreading viruses is file sharing. Many viruses spread themselves throughout open network shares. You can protect your computer not sharing files or directories over the network. But if you don't have a choice and you have to share your files, you are still able to reduce the risk of being infected by installing antivirus software and keeping it updated. Other ways to become infected with viruses are downloading files or software from the Internet, instant messaging or even web pages. If the file you are downloading or the computer you are downloading it from is infected with a virus, there is a big chance that your computer will also become infected with the virus. As for the instant messaging, the major risk comes from accepting files from other users on the network. This risk can be minimized by configuring your antivirus software to scan all incoming files and also configure your other programs not to automatically accept files, and not to automatically execute the files you accept. Certain viruses are known to infect web servers. If you visit a website from an infected server, your computer could be infected with the same virus, but this is a very rare method of infection. There are many different threats that are targeting the computers. Although they are very different, all of them are popularly called viruses. A virus by definition is a self-replicating file, not considering whether it is malicious or not. Another type of the so called viruses are worms; they circulate mainly through e-mail but also spread through a network. A worm is aware he is located in a network and uses it for replicating itself. Trojan horses (or trojans) are mostly used to insert some remote tools into a system in order to give the attacker free access to that system, without the user's knowledge. Most Trojan horses cannot replicate automatically. With the increased number of Internet users, the existing threats are also raising as now there are many more computers to attack and more people that don't know to stay away from these threats. But the antivirus software producers are making it easier for us. There is a lot of antivirus software which cover a lot of threats. All we have to do is install one. Mike Ber is the owner of the Canadian Domain Name Portal called http://www.Every.caHe is also a contributing author to Canadian Computer Magazine and http://www.Developer.ca website.
MORE RESOURCES: Opinion | What Happens When There’s a Real National Security Crisis? The New York Times AI Adoption in the Enterprise: Breaking Through the Security and Compliance Gridlock The Hacker News Rewind and Reconnoiter: Is Climate Security Out in the Cold in the U.S. Intelligence Community? War on the Rocks Law Firms Fear Trump Orders Could Affect Security Clearances of Lawyers Who Are Military Reservists Military.com DHS arrests man in McKinney accused of making terroristic threats against Homeland Security Secretary, ICE NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth Kirtland Security Forces Detective Trains with APD to Strengthen Investigative Skills, Partnerships afgsc.af.mil AWS achieves Cloud Security Assurance Program (CSAP) low-tier certification in AWS Seoul Region Amazon Web Services Apple Head of Global Security found not guilty in bribery trial tied to concealed gun permits NBC Bay Area Netanyahu says Israel will establish a new security corridor across Gaza to pressure Hamas - AP News DOJ grant supports study of the effects of school security equipment on student outcomes George Mason University Rep. Carbajal Statement Following New Reporting on National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s Extensive Use of Signal for Official Work Purposes Congressman Salud Carbajal (.gov) Space Security Sentinel Via Satellite Trump's national security adviser reportedly used his personal Gmail account to do government work TechCrunch 2024 Security IP Year In Review: Innovations And Best Practices Semiconductor Engineering Auto Sector Leads The Way In IC Security Semiconductor Engineering Israel Warns ‘Syria’s AL-Jolani of Heavy Price' If Security Interests Are Threatened kurdistan24.net Mike Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal chats for national security work – report - The Guardian Corgea BLAST uncovers hidden vulnerabilities in code Help Net Security 1touch.io helps organizations safeguard sensitive data Help Net Security Open-source malware doubles, data exfiltration attacks dominate Help Net Security Planning for your IAM Roles Anywhere deployment Amazon Web Services SIA NPS Awards Celebrate Innovations in Security Technology Security Info Watch Milwaukee's Brady Street businesses increase security to improve safety FOX6 News Milwaukee Oracle's masterclass in breach comms: Deny, deflect, repeat theregister.com CyberQP launches Zero Trust Helpdesk Security Platform Help Net Security Are LLM firewalls the future of AI security? Computer Weekly National Security Space Association's Marc Berkowitz Nominated to Serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense Space Coast Daily Commission presents a European internal security strategy European Commission Law firms fear Trump orders could affect security clearances of lawyers who are military reservists ABC News Mountain Home approves renaming Veterans Plaza after First Security Bank Mountain Home Observer I sent hundreds of cold emails to find a US VC firm that would hire me as an immigrant. I'm glad I ended up at a small company. Business Insider Russia's FSB security service searches home of elderly father of former Navalny aide The Jerusalem Post Building a cybersecurity strategy that survives disruption Help Net Security Israel's security is America's security. Americans should not ignore that - opinion The Jerusalem Post Beware fake AutoCAD, SketchUp sites dropping malware Help Net Security Opinion: Alaska can increase its food security without an agriculture department Anchorage Daily News Pasadena school security officer accused of duct-taping 11-year-old girl's mouth shut for 'talking too much' ABC7 Los Angeles County approves more security for Colbert courthouse timesdaily.com Terahertz Imaging Poised to Shake Up Weapons Detection Security Info Watch Glencoe based Security Bank & Trust Co. expands reach in Minnesota McLeod County Chronicle Security, Data Privacy, AI Code Reliability Biggest Software Development Challenges for 2025 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Opinion: Trump’s casual response to his administration’s security lapse Chattanooga Times Free Press Apple security chief acquitted, mistrial for ex-undersheriff in Santa Clara County gun permit bribery case The Mercury News Charges Filed Against Former PUSD Security Guard Pasadena Now Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NasdaqGS:KTOS) Breaks Ground On New Hypersonic Facility Yahoo Finance Oracle Cloud security SNAFU latest: IT giant accused of pedantry as evidence scrubbed theregister.com Fight at maximum security unit precedes tour by state’s prison work group - South Dakota Searchlight Fight at maximum security unit precedes tour by state’s prison work group South Dakota Searchlight NYPD boosts synagogue security ahead of Passover as anti-Jewish crimes 'jump off the page' New York Post HPD, Homeland Security bust multiple game rooms FOX 26 Houston New security system coming to Alaska’s Capitol building Your Alaska Link National security implications of tariff announcement LiveNOW from FOX |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Corporations Need to Worry About Phishing Phishing is a relatively new form of online fraud that focuses on fooling the victim into providing sensitive financial or personal information to a bogus website that bears a significant resemblance to a tried and true online brand. Typically, the victim provides information into a form on the imposter site, which then relays the information to the fraudster. Phishing-Based Scams: A Couple of New Ones Phishing in its "classic" variant is relatively well-known. Actually, 43. Virus Prevention 101 Blaster, Welchia, Sobig, W32, Backdoor, Trojan, Melissa, Klez, Worm, Loveletter, Nimda? Do these names sound Familiar?Have you been as bothered by viruses this past year as I have? Does it seem like there are more viruses, worms and Trojans out now then ever before? It is only getting worse.For the general public, "virus" has become a catchall term for any unwanted program that spreads from computer-to-computer; yet, in reality, there are differences between viruses, worms and Trojan horses. Types Of Computer Infections Computer infections can be broken up into 4 main categories which are explained in detail below:VirusesComputer Viruses are small pieces of software that attach themselves to real programs. An example would be a virus that attaches itself onto windows explorer. Clown Internet Scam - An Internet Scam is Currently Targeting Clowns and Other Entertainers I am the victim of an internet scam. It is very hard to write that sentence, but it's necessary in order to warn my fellow clowns, magicians and other entertainers, and to prevent them from being taken for $2,800. Online Cell Phone Scams and Spam They're out there. Individuals trying to make a quick buck at your expense. A Personal Experience with Identity Theft Some months ago, before there was much publicity regarding phishing and identity theft, I became a victim.My first inkling that I'd been scammed came from a telephone call from my bank asking if I had been to Italy or Roumania. Protection for Your PC - Painless and Free! Viruses, Bugs, Worms, Dataminers, Spybots, and Trojan horses. The Internet is a veritable minefield of things that can invade your PC and affect it's Security and Performance. How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Spyware, Adware, and Other Nuisances Spyware/adware is a new major concern for PC users everywhere. Infecting your computer silently (usually installed with programs that seem harmless), spyware and adware can collect personal information about you, as well as cause pop up ads to come up all of the time, changing your browsers home page, sometimes even completely disabling your computer's usability. 8 Surefire Ways to Spot an E-Mail Identity Theft Scam! The E-Mail Identity Theft Scam is running Rampant. These E-Mail Scam artists will go to great lengths to Get Your Bank Account information and Steal your Identity. Computer-Virus Writers: A Few Bats In The Belfry? "Male. Obsessed with computers. The Truth About Hiding Your Tracks on the Internet Ok, ok, I know you've seen them. All those pop up windows claiming that "You're being watched!" or banner ads saying "Your computer is under surveillance!" And all you need to do is buy their product and your computer's visbility will disappear from the Internet. SCAMS - Be Aware - And Report When Necessary The Internet is a vast International Network of people and businesses - and a place where people can make a fairly decent living. However, it is also a place where certain unsavory characters can freely roam - to take your dollars and run. 7 Ways to Spot a PayPal Scam E-Mail Paypal is a great site and is used by many to send and receive money. Unfortunately some dishonest people are using the Popularity of Paypal to line their own pockets with gold at the expense of unsuspecting Pay Pal members. Computer Security What is computer security?Computer security is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of your computer. Prevention measures help you to stop unauthorized users (also known as "intruders") from accessing any part of your computer system. Avoid Internet Theft, Fraud and Phishing Since its birth, the Internet has grown and expanded to unprecedented, unmanageable proportions. Information, software, news, and much more flow freely through its twisted pathways. Its War I Tell You! There are ways to insure security though. You can get the Windows Update CD from Microsoft and install that before you get online, You can also get most Antivirus Definitions downloaded and save them to disk, then install those before you go online, (of course you have to be using that Product in the first place), and you can get Anti-Spyware on a disk and do the same. Click Here To Defeat Evil Microsoft routinely releases new security updates, many of which are given it's highest severity rating "critical". Here's a typical announcement:"A security issue has been identified that could allow an attacker tocompromise a computer running Internet Explorer and gain control over it. Are They Watching You Online? When surfing the Internet you probably take your anonymityfor granted, most of us do.Tapping phones, listening to confidential conversations,reading others' e-mail messages seems like something thatonly happens in spy movies to "other" people. Don't Become An Identity Fraud Statistic! "You've just won a fabulous vacation or prize package! Now, if you'll kindly give me your credit card information and social security number for verification purposes, you will receive this awesome gift!"Now why would they need my credit card or social security number to send me a freebie? Can you say, "identity theft?"Although there are legitimate reasons for people to need that information, such as a purchase or job application, thieves need it to steal your life and money from you!Crime officials are reporting that this kind of theft is becoming quite common. Don't be a victim! Follow a few common-sense suggestions to avoid finding out someone else has taken over your life-along with your bank account!-Do not allow anyone to borrow your credit cards! Your best friend may be trustworthy, but her boyfriend may not be!-Don't provide personal information such as date of birth, credit card numbers, your pin number, mom's maiden name, or social security number over the telephone unless you initiate the call. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |