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viruses, worms & trojan horsesViruses, worms, and Trojan Horses are malicious programs that can cause damage to your computer and information on your computer, slow down the Internet, and use your computer to spread themselves to your friends, family, co-workers, and the rest of the Web. The good news is that with an ounce of prevention and some good common sense you are less likely to fall victim to these threats. Think of it as locking your front door to protect your family. Read on for definitions, ways to find out if you've been victimized, and solutions you can use to help make your computer safer. |
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What is a Virus?A virus is a piece of computer code that attaches itself to a program or file so it can spread from computer to computer, infecting as it travels. Viruses can damage your software, your hardware, and your files. Virus (n.) Code written with the express intention of replicating itself. A virus attempts to spread from computer to computer by attaching itself to a host program. It may damage hardware, software, or information. Just as human viruses range in severity from Ebola to the 24-hour Flu, computer viruses range from the mildly annoying to the downright destructive. The good news is that a true virus does not spread without human action to move it along, such as sharing a file or sending an e-mail.
What is a Worm?Worm, like a virus, is designed to copy itself from one computer to another, but it does so automatically by taking control of features on the computer that can transport files or information. Once you have a worm in your system it can travel alone. A great danger of worms is their ability to replicate in great volume. For example, a worm could send out copies of itself to everyone listed in your e-mail address book, and their computers would then do the same, causing a domino effect of heavy network traffic that would slow down business networks and the Internet as a whole. When new worms are unleashed, they spread very quickly, clogging networks and possibly making you wait twice as long for you (and everyone else) to view Web pages on the Internet. Worm (n.) A subclass of virus. A worm generally spreads without user action and distributes complete copies (possibly modified) of itself across networks. A worm can consume memory or network bandwidth, thus causing a computer to stop responding. Because worms don't need to travel via a "host" program or file, they can also tunnel into your system and allow somebody else to take control of your computer remotely. Recent examples of worms included the Sasser worm and the Blaster worm.
Return To SenderRecent security threats, such as MyDoom, have spread through e-mails disguised as familiar-looking returned mail error messages. The attached file appeared to be the text of a message you may have sent to the wrong address, but if you opened it you fell victim to the virus. No matter how authentic an e-mail appears to be, make sure you know the contents of the attachment before you open it. |
What is a Trojan Horse?
Just as the mythological Trojan Horse appeared to be a gift, but turned out to contain Greek soldiers who overtook the city of Troy, today's Trojan Horses are computer programs that appear to be useful software, but instead they compromise your security and cause a lot of damage. A recent Trojan Horse came in the form of an e-mail that included attachments claiming to be Microsoft security updates, but turned out to be viruses that attempted to disable antivirus and firewall software. Trojan Horse (n.) A computer program that appears to be useful but that actually does damage. Trojan Horses spread when people are lured into opening a program because they think it comes from a legitimate source. To better protect users, Microsoft often sends out security bulletins via e-mail, but they will never contain attachments. Security alerts are published on the Microsoft Security Web site before being e-mailed to customers. Trojan Horses can also be included in software that you download for free. Never download software from a source that you don't trust. Always download Microsoft updates and patches from Microsoft Windows Update.
Help Protect Yourself Against Viruses, Worms, and Trojan HorsesAlthough viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses have very different characteristics, there are four main ways you can help protect yourself against all of them. 1. Never open an e-mail attachment from a stranger. 2. Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you know, unless you know what the attachment is. 3. Always keep your antivirus software up-to-date. 4. Keep your Microsoft software current
Useful Sources1. F-Secure Internet Security Software 2. McAfee Anti-Virus & Security Software 3. Microsoft Windows Update 4. Microsoft Office Update 5. Lavasoft Ad-aware Free Edition |
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