Viruses, Worms, Spyware. Understanding Computer Viruses ? They can also slow down your machine, and they might even 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. Schedule a virus scan to occur on a regular basis. When a computer runs the infected program, the virus launches and embeds itself in the computer’s memory. It then looks for other programs or files to which it can attach. The Difference Between Anti-Virus and MalWare. A rootkit is software that enables continued privileged access to a computer while actively hiding its presence. Malware is more generic than viruses; Anti-malware programs. Understanding Anti-Virus Software Original release. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses. Computer viruses and malware are a constant danger to every. These programs are installed without the consent of users and can cause a number. Rootkits are designed to go unnoticed and actively hide their presence. It is really important to understand that catching viruses or Malware early makes our job much easier and the. Malware, Spyware programs will download into your computer and. The presence of Malware on a computer can result in anything from poor performance to having your. Most malware-cleanup programs cannot. An Overview of Common Symptoms of Viruses in. Users should install anti-malware programs to immediately. In case if a system is infected with malware it shows various symptoms indicating the presence of viruses.This process repeats each time an infected program launches. A trigger activates the virus, which may be a date or the number of times a virus replicates itself, resulting in damaged software or computer files. E- mail viruses may find an individual’s address book and send copies of an infected document to everyone listed. Worms are very similar to viruses in that they are computer programs that replicate functional copies of themselves and often, but not always, contain some functionality that will interfere with the normal use of a computer or a program. The difference is that, unlike viruses, worms exist as separate entities; they do not attach themselves to other files or programs. Named after the wooden horse the Greeks used to infiltrate Troy, a Trojan Horse is a program that appears to be useful software, but instead it compromises your security and causes a lot of damage. Once it is downloaded and executed, the malicious code begins to work. The difference between Trojan Horses and viruses is that Trojan Horses do not replicate or spread on their own. They can only be transmitted intentionally via email or disk, or downloaded directly onto a PC. Many Trojan Horses are designed to steal your login ID and password and then email them to someone else who can make use of the account at your expense. Other Trojan Horses can display obscene messages or delete the contents of your hard drive. A Rootkit is a program or a collection of programs that is similar to a Trojan Horse. A Rootkit takes Administrator level control of a system without authorization of the system's owners and managers. The goal of a Rootkit is to compromise the operating system itself. These programs are able to obscure their presence and activity from the user and virus scan software. Rootkits make this possible because they take control of the operating system. Because virus scans depend on queues from the operating system to find viruses, Rootkits can effectively hide themselves from any program on the machine. Rootkits are also difficult to remove and typically require the use of an outside operating system such as a live distribution of a clean operating system or any other program that can run prior to the booting of the operating system. Because of the high level of difficulty associated with removing a Rootkit, it is often assumed that it is easier to rebuild the system than to manually remove the malicious code. Understanding Computer Viruses. Viruses and similar malicious programs usually spread in one of several ways: from external media such as CDs, from vulnerabilities in Windows programs, from downloads off the Internet or bulletin boards, from browsing infected Internet sites, from using Instant Messaging, and from email attachments. Symptoms such as longer- than- normal program load times, unpredictable program behavior, inexplicable changes in file sizes, inability to boot, strange graphics appearing on your screen, or unusual sounds may indicate that a virus is on your system. However, it is important to distinguish between virus symptoms and those that come from corrupted system files, which can look very similar. Unless you have up- to- date antivirus software installed on your computer, there is no sure way to know if you have a virus or not. There are also email warnings that end up being a hoax. To determine if the email virus warning is real, you can visit the Web site at: http: //www. If you would like to check whether you already have an antivirus software program installed on your computer, check the Programs list on the Start menu and look for an antivirus program. Many major computer manufacturers include at least a trial version of a popular antivirus software package. But just because the software is installed, doesn't mean it's . It is usually the unwary who get computer viruses. Following is a list of some recommendations for safe computing: Keep your operating system current with the latest patches and updates. The writers of viruses and worms often exploit bugs and security holes in operating systems and other computer software. Software manufacturers frequently release patches for such holes. Install antivirus (virus detection) software. Antivirus programs perform two general functions: They scan for and quarantine or remove viruses in files on disks, and monitor the operation of your computer for virus- like activity. Most antivirus packages contain routines that can perform each kind of task. Keep your virus detection software updated. No matter which antivirus software package you choose, it is important to update it on a regular basis. Viruses are constantly evolving and new ones are always being created, so an out- of- date antivirus program may not detect or protect against the most recent variants. The developers of any reputable antivirus program will issue updates on a regular basis, usually at least once a week. Handle attachments wisely. You may want to consider deleting the message without reading it. E- mail attachments are quite often the culprits in many virus attacks. Therefore, if you do decide to open an attachment, be sure that it has been scanned with antivirus software. Never open attachments unless you have verified that they are free of known viruses. At a minimum, family members and employees should know not to open unexpected attachments and not to execute software they download from the Internet until they have scanned it for viruses. Viruses are one more very good reason to always back up your files. If you back up a file that is already infected with a virus, you can reinfect your system by restoring files from the backup copies. Scan your backup files with virus scanning software before using them. This will prevent the virus from spreading to your original disks. If you must insert one of your application disks into an unknown computer, lock (write- protect) it first, and unlock your application disk only after verifying that the machine is virus- free. Check newly downloaded software thoroughly using reputable virus detection software. If you discover that a system is infected with a virus, immediately isolate it from other systems by unplugging or disconnecting it from the network. Do not allow anyone to move or copy files from it to another system until the system has been disinfected. When the Preview Pane is enabled, there is greater opportunity for a virus to come in through an email. Don’ts to Avoid Viruses The following activities are among the most common ways of getting computer viruses. Minimizing the frequency of these activities will reduce your risk of getting a computer virus. Don’t freely share computer programs and system disks, or download files and software through file- sharing applications such as Lime. Wire or Bit. Torrent. Don’t download executable software from public- access bulletin boards or Web sites. Don’t open any email attachment that ends in . Microsoft Windows. It offers an array of effective protection features, including Proactive Threat Protection, online virus definition updates, and an automatic scheduler. At Indiana University, Norton/Symantec Endpoint Protection is the only Symantec product available under IU’s agreement with Symantec. Users may install copies on multiple computers, such as a desktop, laptop, home computer, etc. It provides full virus protection (when kept updated) and doesn't expire. It is the only version that will be available on IUware CDs and is available from IUware Online at: http: //iuware. Other Virus Protection Options. Norton/Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) is freely availably to all IU students, faculty and staff, but if you would like to use a different program, here are some alternative options. Microsoft's Forefront antivirus program is available through IUWare. You should talk to your departmental LSP, or IT support person before installing. Your LSP or IT support person can assist you with the installation if needed. Many computers come with virus protection pre- installed. However, these programs often require a subscription to continue to recieve updates to the virus definition files, which are essential to virus protection. Be aware of when your virus protection expires if you choose this option. If you are using Windows in a home environment, then Free. AVG is a good choice. This is a free antivirus program for private use. You cannot use the software in an office or educational environment, but a home computer is allowable. You can acquire the Free AVG software at: http: //free. Protecting Your Machine Before Installing Norton Trial versions of antivirus software are often shipped with new computers and may only have a subscription for virus updates for a limited time period. If the antivirus program no longer receives updates, then the computer is vulnerable to viruses. Therefore, you may want to install new antivirus software that is up to date. Always be certain to uninstall your current product before installing the new one. Leaving the previous version installed can cause conflicts on your system. However, it is important that you download the latest virus definitions before removing the old program, or your machine may be at risk for a certain period of time. Note: Check with your LSP before removing or installing antivirus software on your IU computer. Before installing SEP for Windows, be sure that you do not have any existing versions of antivirus software on your computer.
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