Here is an interesting article about computer viruses and
spyware. You can download anti virus software here.
Malware, Spyware, Adware Or Trojan- What's
the fuss?
by: Austin Akalanze
Very often, malware is spoken of as viruses, trojans, dialers,
adware and sypware. Being knowledgeable about how to diagnose a service running
as a malware is an important part of fighting this nuisance. The problem of
Malware is getting worse by the day, and it is not just for funny any more.
Fighting malware is a daunting task. This is because rootkit-shielded malware is
installed in the system. This makes it difficult for traditional antivirus
scanning applications to see the malicious program. Also, many new malware codes
are being written everyday. As a result, the only good solution to malware
sometimes, is a complete Operating Systems reinstall.
Malware
Malware is usually installed on your computer without your knowledge.
Frequently, malware is designed to send itself from your contacts e-mail account
to your computer and vice versa. Until now, most malware is limited to Windows
systems. This is however changing as more and more malware are being written for
the Linux system. One of the first signs of malware is the speed of your
computer. Indications of the presence of malware can also be found in the
temporary decompression folders. If the only signs are in the temporary
decompression folders it is unlikely that the malware has been activated. The
usual way of detecting malware is through heuristics. Most malware is easy to
remove. Once the presence of a malicious code is confirmed, it could be removed
with a scan and remove software. Files that contain the known codes are
quarantined and scheduled for deletion.
Trojans
Trojans take their name from the term 'Trojan Horse'. They are typically malware
with a payload. It spreads itself by posing as legitimate software. The term
Trojan has usually been used to refer to malware that performes unexpected or
unauthorized actions. For instance, a Dialer Trojan is malware coded to secretly
dial phone numbers. This leaves the infected victim with a large phone bill. The
trojan can also install spamming malware. It can present itself as a legitimate
Windows Live Messenger advertisement from Microsoft. Unlike Viruses or Worms,
Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves. Their danger is in causing damage to
networks by delivering other types of Malware. The trojan malware can hijack web
browser form data to capture online banking credentials and send the stolen data
to the owner party. Catching the threats of a Trojan Horse would require the use
of a Trojan scanner.
spyware
Spyware has become a generic term that also includes adware, malware and many
trojans. For the most part, these have inter-related behavior and features and
are commonly referred to as Spyware. Most spyware can be broken up into two
major groups- adware and malware. All spyware are rogue software programs that
typically install themselves without a user's knowledge. You can get infected
with spyware, malware and other malicious programs just by visiting a website.
You can also get infected by installing a software which seems genuine but is
bundled with malicious codes. Getting rid of spyware is not instant, and
certainly not a one time event. It is a process. It requires the use of
detection and removal tools that scan explicitly for spyware. However, many
spyware experts have noted that no one anti-spyware product catches all malware
and spyware. That's why some spyware appears so invincible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have seen that malware is short for malicious software and a
catch all phrase for viruses, worms, adware, spyware, trojans, etc. Malware we
also learned is getting more resistant due to the fact that rootkit-shielded
malware is installed in the system. This makes it difficult for traditional
antivirus scanning applications to see the malicious program. As a result, the
only good solution to malware sometimes, is a complete Operating Systems
reinstall. Malware we noted can be distributed through email and other file
sharing. Some of the early signs we observed is a system slow down. Fortunately,
most malware can be easily removed by a simple scan and remove application. The
difficulty and reason why some seem invincible is because no one application can
take care of all the threats.
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