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Viruses and Worms: The Problems and Their Solutions
History and Background The virus was one of the first ever threats to computer security. It brought a whole new fear upon computer users. Bugs and glitches could cause damage unintentionally, but a virus created havoc intentionally, and therefore often caused much more damage then just glitches in software. Technically a virus must be in a host file and spread manually by people, versus a worm which spreads by an automated process and doesn't require a host file, but we will include worms as part of the term virus. Therefore, the threat of viruses quickly multiplied expotentially. One computer infected by a virus is manageable, but a virus spreading uncontrollably and automatically can cause damage to sometimes entire populations. And with the introduction of the Internet, billions of computers worldwide could be accessed with a click of a button. These abilities are what made the virus probably the greatest security to personal computers in the 21st Century. What kind of damage will it inflict? Since up to 100 new viruses are discovered every minute by anti-virus industries worldwide, the damage they inflict varies considerably. Some will display an annoying popup. Some will swap your mouse buttons. Some will uninstall Internet Explorer. Some will delete all your personal files. And some, though rare, will slow down your computer fan to the point that your computer processor starts smoking. All have 1 thing in common - they reduce your productivity in some way and they inhibit you from comfortably using your PC. Therefore you must take several precautions to insure you do not to become infected with viruses. With just a few simple security measures, the chances of getting infected with a virus can be cut down by over 90%. Security Measures The most important step - Be careful of everything you do on the Internet! It is extremely rare for a computer to get infected by a virus if you only download and browse trustworthy sites and emails. If an email has an attachment and looks suspicious it is very likey to be a virus. If a site is providing illegal or inappropiate content, it should be considered a risk. These are basic rules of safe browsing of the Internet and unfortunately, most people only learn these rules after a disaster. Don't learn from experience! Don't let it happen in the first place. Keep your system up-to-date. Nearly every major virus threat to operating systems are patched soon after discovery. Visit your operating system update website often, which is www.windowsupdate.com for Windows users. Get a reliable antivirus solution. The most common is Norton Antivirus, but I personally do not like its unreliability and incompatibility with many PCs. On the otherhand, it is probably the most user friendly antivirus solution on the market, and is probably best for PC beginners. If you're looking for a free yet extremely reliable and easy-to-use antivirus solution, Avast may be your answer. I am currently running Avast and am very happy with it. I previously tried Norton Antivirus, Norton Client Security, NOD32 Antivirus and McAfee Antivirus, but each had their own individual problems and so I had to constantly change antivirus software until I finally reached Avast. Some people go overboard and install many other security measures but I don't recommend this. These measures only hog resources, confuse users and cause conflicts with other software. Some of this software includes firewalls, memory explorers and file protection. References www.wikipedia.org us.mafee.com www.netmom.com www.pcworld.com Links Avast Antivirus - www.avast.com Soroush King is a certified programmer, adept in VB, C++, Delphi, as well as web developer and scripter, having considerable knowledge of both PHP and Perl. He also owns and manages several professional websites. This article was originally published at http://www.articlesandtools.com/adware.php For more information on computer security visit http://www.articlesandtools.com. If you would like to use this article anywhere else, please just notify me by sending an email to kingofkings@gmail.com (you don't have to wait for a response, as this is just a notification, not permission). Please refer on the page that the author of the article was I, Soroush King, and also please note that the article was originally published at http://www.articlesandtools.com/adware.php by providing a link.
MORE RESOURCES: Officials detail increased D.C. security for certification, inauguration The Washington Post Homeland Security Department to Release New A.I. Guidance The New York Times Nuclear power for military bases will increase our national security Breaking Defense New 'spectral fingerprint' atlas of satellites aims to improve space security University of Arizona News Opinion | Trump’s national security wrecking crew The Washington Post ‘Never trust, always verify’: The zero trust approach to network security United States Army Brief altercation between fans mars France-Israel soccer match despite heavy security The Associated Press St. Francis Seraph hires security guards for Christmas, Nativity display visitors as crowds still plague area WCPO 9 Cincinnati Trump’s National Security Team Keeps Getting More Extreme The New Republic Video: How The Fortinet Security Fabric Is Combatting Cybersecurity Threats And Talent Shortage Channel Insider The Fastest Airport Security Line You Don’t Know About The Wall Street Journal AI’s impact on the future of web application security Help Net Security The campus will be closed to anyone who is not a student, faculty or staff member. WVTM13 Birmingham Tuskegee president releases security updates following shooting WIAT - CBS42.com U.S. ambassador bashes Mexico’s security efforts. Mexico’s president pushes back - Los Angeles Times Do Titans QB, Coach Have Job Security? Sports Illustrated Inside The 2024 Security Benchmark Report Security Magazine Homeland Security Department releases framework for using AI in critical infrastructure The Associated Press Your favorite security leadership podcasts Security Magazine The UN cybercrime convention threatens security research. The US should do something about it CyberScoop 3rd Annual U.S.-Mexico Defense and Security Roundtable smallwarsjournal France draws with Israel in high-security operation to reach Nations League quarterfinals with Italy The Associated Press Tuskegee University Shifts Security, Facilities Leadership Tuskegee University Endpoint Security from BlackBerry BlackBerry An Interview With the Target & Home Depot Hacker Krebs on Security Akamai: 84% of security professionals experienced an API security incident in the past year SecurityInfoWatch Trump names Florida’s Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser Nebraska Examiner ESA opens registration for 2024 Town Hall Broadcast SecurityInfoWatch ‘We’re just a target’: Pickleball players call for more security Camas Washougal Post Record Mexican Officials Arrest Top Security Official in Mayor’s Beheading The New York Times New infosec products of the week: November 15, 2024 Help Net Security After student allegedly threatens classmate with gun, Ambridge Area School District makes security changes CBS Pittsburgh Linn County’s Food for Health pilot program aims to improve food security, support local economy KEZI TV South Florida campus security officer arrested after attempting to meet minor for sex WPBF West Palm Beach Tom Homan, Trump’s ‘Border Czar,’ on Border Security The New York Times Microsoft Patch Tuesday, November 2024 Edition Krebs on Security Trump Picks Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Secretary The New York Times Silverfort Buys Rezonate to Fortify Identity Security Muscle BankInfoSecurity.com Rand Paul Will Continue His COVID-19 Investigations From Atop the Senate Homeland Security Committee Reason NIST report on hardware security risks reveals 98 failure scenarios Help Net Security Who Is Michael Waltz, Trump’s Pick to Be National Security Adviser? The New York Times |
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