| Viruses have already become the biggest curse of | | | | chance to spread) so the fact that you haven't noticed |
| the internet world, affecting millions of internet users | | | | anything unusual doesn't mean your computer is |
| and other business communities. Hackers, Spammers- | | | | necessarily in good health. |
| whatever names you choose to call them, these | | | | If your computer gets infected, whether the payload is |
| programmes termed as malwares, have sown the | | | | harmful or not you want to get rid of the virus as |
| seeds of fear and doubt in the minds of the general | | | | quickly as possible, so as to remove the risk of it |
| internet users. Privacy and security are the most | | | | spreading to the computers of your friends and |
| affected segments and to escape from the hassles | | | | colleagues.The only sure way to get rid of a virus is to |
| of the viruses,Up-to-date anti-virus software is | | | | use anti-virus software. Some viruses can be |
| essential for all PCs, particularly those that connect to | | | | removed manually, but different viruses need different |
| the internet. It helps to prevent viruses, worms and | | | | removal methods and by the time you've found out |
| other malicious software infecting your computer. It | | | | the correct procedure a software virus scanner could |
| scans new files and emails, and regularly checks | | | | already have done the job. |
| existing files and folders for abnormal behaviour. | | | | In a few cases, the virus scanner may not be able to |
| Computer viruses are a sickness that every computer | | | | cleanly remove a virus from a file, and the file may be |
| user encounters sooner or later. In fact, viruses are | | | | left corrupt and unusable. In this case, your only option |
| just one example of a whole group of nuisance | | | | is to restore an uninfected copy of the file from |
| programs which are known as malware. Types of | | | | software installation disks or a backup. |
| malware include,Viruses which like their biological | | | | A good backup system is by far the best safeguard |
| counterparts, these are programs that infect a | | | | against losing data due to the action of a virus (as well |
| computer (by various methods) and then spread to | | | | as other disasters). But it must work hand-in-glove with |
| other computers when infected files or disks are | | | | the regular use of a virus scanner, otherwise your |
| exchanged,Worms which are similar to viruses but are | | | | clean backup files could be replaced by infected ones |
| carried on the Internet and can spread from one | | | | before you realise your system has a virus.It's better |
| computer to another by themselves, with no need for | | | | to prevent a virus from infecting your computer in the |
| a user to assist the process by giving someone an | | | | first place, than have to remove one after it has. |
| infected file or disk,Trojans so named after the Trojan | | | | Therefore, it's worth paying close attention to virus |
| Horse of mythology, these are programs that pretend | | | | prevention measures. |
| to be harmless and useful, but which in fact do | | | | The best all-round system of protection is to install |
| something sinister, like plant a virus in a | | | | anti-virus software and enable on-access scanning |
| computer,Spyware that is nothing but a software that | | | | (this is usually enabled by default.) This will work silently |
| tracks your online activity or monitors your keystrokes | | | | in the background, checking files for the presence of |
| and sends this information to a remote server,Dialers | | | | viruses. You need not worry about it until it detects a |
| which are programs that are downloaded to your | | | | virus and raises the alert. |
| computer from a web page, which then steal money | | | | However, you must remain conscious of the need for |
| from you by dialling premium rate phone numbers, | | | | virus protection to the extent of remembering to |
| Hijackers which are little programs that are usually | | | | update your virus scanner regularly. These days, daily |
| infiltrated on to your system via email or your web | | | | updates are not too often! New viruses are constantly |
| browser, which then hijack your browser settings by | | | | appearing on the scene, and despite the claims of |
| (for example) changing your default home page | | | | software vendors, virus scanners are not very good |
| setting. | | | | at detecting viruses they don't know about. Updating is |
| Viruses, worms and trojans cause a nuisance just by | | | | the only way to maintain your virus scanner at top |
| spreading their infections, but most of them also do | | | | effectiveness by ensuring it knows about, and can |
| something else, known as the payload. The payload | | | | detect, all the latest threats. Trusted and reliable anti |
| may be something innocuous, like displaying a | | | | virus programs include McAfee, Norton Anti-virus, |
| message or changing the system colours, or it may be | | | | AVG, PCCillin, Trend-Micro and many others. Anti-virus |
| something destructive like deleting files or formatting | | | | programs work on continuous updates of anti-virus |
| the hard disk. This payload often isn't activated until the | | | | definitions and thwart new viruses by managing to |
| virus has infected your computer for a while (giving it a | | | | keep a few steps ahead of them. |