Computer Virus

Hello Guest,

A Computer Virus is written to write itself into a host Computer.

From there it may copy itself through various files, destroy files and/or Folders, overwrite the Hard Drive/s, Use the infected Computer to send private information to another address via the Internet, or take over the Computer so it becomes a SPAM Zombie.

You need to understand that no single AntiVirus Software Utility can locate and eliminate all viruses.

So, several anti-malware software applications are needed, run in a "Guard" mode 24/7/365 (continuously), with at least daily updates for all those Security Utilities.

Here, for instance, we run around 15 simultaneous Security Utilities, all updated at least every 6 hours.

In spite of that, the occasional malware item has sneaked in, only to be discovered and eliminated during one or more of the daily scans, which are each set up to do a deep scan from midnight onwards, with two Security Utilities scanning simultaneously.

Now all those precautions sound like using up a lot of Computer resources, and on older machines, they cannot now run, because those older Computers are now too slow to do simultaneous/sequential scans.

Things were certainly easier in the earlier times, back in the early 1990's there was almost no malware.

Now there are:

1. Viruses
2. Trojans
3. Worms
4. Spyware
5. GIF Bugs
6. Scripts
7. Cookies
8. Pop-ups
9. Scanners
10. Advertisements with extra payload
11. Email malware
    
12. And still more to come.

Look all the above up on Wikipedia

Just one of the Security Utilities we use here, now has a database of 1.3 million Malware items, and more than a thousand descriptors are added just to that Utility each 24 hours.

The horrifying statistics are as follows:

An unprotected Computer on dial-up to the Internet, will receive the first malware item within 40 seconds approx.

An unprotected Computer on ADSL/Cable = fast permanent connection to the Internet, will receive the first malware item within 8 seconds approx.

Like a gang of nasty people, malware encourages more to arrive, and instal themselves into your once clean Computer.

It becomes like a house, where you are the Landlord/Owner, and a bad tenant arrives, and brings friends/squatters along.

So, to keep a Computer clean these days, requires effort, considerable effort.

But remember that more than 60,000 people in the US alone, had their identity stolen in the last 12 months.

So, your identity and personal data is precious to you, ensure you keep it carefully, and don't be sharing it with the ungodly.

As an aside, I have a particular interest in Computer Security, assisting clients and friends since 1993.

Kind Regards....