Malware Info / 4 posts found
Malware May Be Hard At Work On Your Computer
If you’ve been using a personal computer for some time the word “Malware” gets on your nerves. Malware is the nice term for malicious software, anyone that has had their PC corrupted by it will use a different choice of words. Malicious software includes viruses, adware, spyware, and Trojans. If you don’t take precautions they will take over your computer. Viruses are probably the most common type of malware. Viruses can do all kinds of maddening things to your computer. They can erase all the files on your hard drive, cause your computer to close windows without reason, they can […]
Virus Overview
Computer Viruses are one of the biggest “bogeyman” of the Internet, and with attacks by Melissa, ILoveYou, Nimda, and Michelangelo, there are damage estimates and virus warnings all over the Internet. But what are they really? A virus is a program that spreads to other computers. Like all forms of malware, it both runs without the user’s knowledge or permission and it can interfere with other programs that are trying to run on the same computer. Some viruses also carry a payload, like ticking time bombs. On a given date, or after a certain time after the computer is infected, […]
Adware Overview
Adware is advertising delivered directly to your computer. Generally, a program puts ads on the screen at some regular interval. In some cases, this program can be installed without the user’s knowledge, but not always. Many programs clearly state on install that “this program is supported by advertising, and if you turn off the advertising, you also shut down the program.” Adware tends to be a “grey area” in the malware family. Yes, it can run without the user’s knowledge, and yes, it can bog down the system (especially when the adware program goes online to retrieve new ads to […]
Spyware Overview
Imagine a program that watches your computer. It sits in memory, watching everything the computer does–the websites it displays, the passwords used to get into them, the advertisements that get clicked on. This program silently and secretly gathers all of this information, without the user’s knowledge. Then, at some point, it connects to a server somewhere on the Internet, and hands over this collection–again, without letting the owner of the computer know what it’s done. Scary thought? Experts believe that at least six out of ten perhaps as many as nine out of ten computers on the Internet have this […]