Malware-a Primer

With so many terms like spyware, virus and adware getting thrown around we though we should clear things up for you and describe what each term means.

Read on.....

I’ve got some bad news for you. If you use a computer, especially a Windows-based computer, to access the internet, the odds are very good that you are being exposed to a group of malicious, destructive, invasive, or simply annoying programs collectively known as malware.

The genus malware includes several nasty species. Below is a list of the more common varieties:

AdWare: This category includes a number of programs designed to deliver advertising to your computer. In some cases, the software is relatively benign, and simply keeps track of the websites you visit and search terms you enter to tailor the ads you see to what the software takes to be your interests. Other forms of AdWare send an endless parade of pop-ups to your computer.

Spyware: Spyware is any program that collects data about your surfing habits or other computer usage and sends that data to another computer without your knowledge. In the least offensive form, it does more or less the same thing as Adware. In the most pernicious form, it can collect bank or credit card information.

Viruses:

can cause all sorts of problems. Some erase data, some steal it, andsome turn your computer into a zombie that secretly e-mails spam to thousands of people. In other words, there are countless viruses out there, all of which do something different and bad. Windows is especially vulnerable to this problem. The number of known viruses for Windows machines is well over 100,000. The number of viruses that affect Macs or Linux machines are a tiny fraction of that, and most of those viruses are either harmless or difficult to install on target machines.
Anti-virus software will help here, but it’s not a perfect fix. Antivirus software works like your body’s immune system-it can only deal with threats it’s been trained to find. Antivirus programs either look for viruses that are already known (by searching for certain strings of code or file names) or for programs that look as though they could be viruses. The latter technique is known as heuristic analysis, and although it works well, it is not perfect.
In other words, no virus scanner can find and eliminate every virus out there. But all is not lost. By exercising some common sense and following a few basic rules, you can lessen your odds of being infected.
1) Be wary of e-mail attachments. Many, many viruses are spread by attachments. Try to avoid opening any attachment that does not come from someone you know. Even if you know the person, be careful.

2) DO NOT install programs you don’t recognize. Some websites will tell you that you must have a certain program to view their content. In the vast majority of cases, clicking the provided link will install some kind of malware. There are very few programs that you may legitimately need- Java, Adobe Reader, and Shockwave/Adobe flash come to mind. If in doubt, google the name of the program.

3) Beware of less-than-reputable websites.

4) Don’t click on the banners that promise to give you a prize if you punch the gopher (or do something similar). Often, that click will install something nasty.

5) When in doubt, check google. If still in doubt, don’t do it.