Antivirus Blog

While the internet is an incredible innovation that offers a convenient way to do things like shop, communicate with friends, and even pay your bills, it is also riddled with viruses and other types of malware, as well as thieves that are out to steal your personal information. Anyone that uses the internet should know how to avoid these types of threats.

Computer Viruses
There was a time when viruses were distributed almost exclusively through email attachments. While that is still a very common way that viruses are spread, there are even more ways nowadays. Some viruses can be contracted by simply visiting a website that is hosted on a virus infected server. Harmful code may be downloaded by your web browser upon visiting such as site that is then saved to your computer. For this reason, you should always be cautious about clicking links to websites that you are not familiar with.

Phishing
Phishing is a malicious and often times criminal practice of tricking web surfers into divulging personal information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and more. Most phishing attempts are made via email, by sending fraudulent emails made to look like they are sent from legitimate sources, requesting personal information. It is important to keep in mind that no financial institution is going to ask you to submit your personal information back to them, by email or by any other means. They already have this information on file, and it is usually against their policy to ask you to furnish that information anyway. Often fraudulent emails will contain links that take the unsuspecting web surfer to an imposter site that is set up to look exactly like a legitimate site to gain the trust of the victim. The user is then prompted to login with their sensitive information and it is then stolen by the criminals. PayPal customers are a big target for this type of scam. Always check the address bar to make sure you’re actually on the site that you appear to be.

Online Shopping Precautions
The convenience of shopping online is definitely a luxury, but there is substantial risk associated with it. However, with a bit of caution the risk can be eliminated. First of all, only shop from sites that you trust. If you’re unsure about the reputation of any particular website, do a quick Google search to see what people are saying about it. If there is anything fraudulent about the site, you’ll likely find out about it. Also, as mentioned earlier, be sure to check the address bar while you’re on the site and make sure that the website address matches the site that you are on.

If you decide to make a purchase, be sure that the checkout page is secure. In many browsers this is indicated by a padlock symbol somewhere at the bottom of the window. You can also tell by looking in the address bar. A secure page’s address will begin with https:// as opposed to http://. This indicates that any information you transmit through that page will be encrypted so that it can’t be intercepted by a third party (such as a hacker).

Using all of the above information will vastly improve your chances of remaining unscathed by viruses and other malicious threats online, but in order to fully protect yourself, youíll need high quality security software. You can get antivirus and antispyware products separately, or you can purchase and entire security suite that will give you all-inclusive protection. Do your research online to find which security software is best for you.

Viruses are not necessarily the only threat to your computer’s security that you should be concerned about. There are several other types of harmful malware such as worms and Trojan horse infections that should also be taken into account. While the viruses of yesterday were relatively simple programs, today they are very complex, stealth, and capable of doing significant damage to your computer, network, or server. Millions of computers around the world are currently infected with one or more of these malicious applications.

If your computer seems to be running slower than usual or any other indications of a possible virus infection and you’d like to know what needs to be done to remove a computer virus, the first step is installing an up to date antivirus program. Having current antivirus software running on your computer gives you the ability to detect as well as remove viruses. However, in some instances antivirus software is not always capable of detecting other types of infections such as worms or Trojan horses.

In order to ensure that viruses can be found and removed, it’s imperative to keep your antivirus software up to date. Most antivirus utilities offer automatic updates, while others must be manually updated. New threats are created and spread throughout the internet every day, so it is very important that you have the latest protection running on your computer.

In the event that your antivirus software discovers a virus, it will immediately alert you of the name and the nature of the virus and then begin taking steps to remove it. In many cases, the software will be able to completely remove the virus, while in other cases you may need to replace damage files or reinstall software. In cases where the virus cannot be completely removed, it will be moved to a quarantine area so that it’s unable to infect any other files on your computer.

It’s always a good idea to do a little research on the infection that your software discovered to help you better understand it and potentially help you figure out how you may have contracted it in the first place. Take the name of the infection that your antivirus system gives and run a search online to see what comes up. There is tons of information online regarding known viruses and what exactly they do and how they are commonly delivered.

Stopping a virus in its tracks before it becomes a serious threat is the key. Some viruses may cause substantial damage if gone undetected. In some serious cases, entire hard drives can be damaged beyond repair. Installing an effective antivirus program and keeping it up to date is absolutely necessary to keep your system protected from viruses. In addition to the protection provided to you by the antivirus software, you can further protect yourself by using a little diligence when surfing the internet, using email and chatting. Donít visit any websites that you donít trust, as they may be hosting infections. Never download an email attachment from an unfamiliar address or accept a file transfer from an anonymous sender when chatting. Following these simple guidelines will help you keep harmful programs off of your computer so you donít have to deal with removing them in the future.

There are several ways that spyware can sneak onto your computer. Visiting some unfamiliar websites may cause your browser to automatically download spyware to your computer. File sharing programs like KaZaa and Limewire are notorious for assisting in the distribution of spyware. Even some legitimate software comes bundled with a less-harmful yet still intrusive type of spyware. In order to fend off spyware, you’ll need adequate spyware detection and removal software. But what if you suspect that your system is already running spyware?

There are a few key things to look for to help you determine whether or not your system has actually been infected with some type of spyware.

Signs that there is Spyware Present

• Flashing icons in the taskbar that were not there previously
• Random, unprovoked browser pop-ups that advertise things like casinos, pornography, or money making opportunities (bizop)
• Antivirus software alerting you about security breaches
• Constant requests from firewalls to grant permissions to random applications that you’re unfamiliar with

What to do After You’ve Been Infected

1. Avoid clicking on any ads or pop-ups that you are presented with. Check for updates for your security software
2. Reboot your computer in safe mode by pressing F8 at the BIOS screen when you start your computer
3. Run your spyware and antivirus scans to check for issues. Be sure to select ‘Full Scan’ so that your entire hard drive is checked.
4. Check your Program Files folder for any new folders that may have appeared. Try uninstalling those programs with the Add/Remove Programs in your Control Panel. In some cases, simply uninstalling the foreign software will solve the problem.
5. Reboot your computer, and run another full scan to see if there are still any spyware/viruses lurking about.
6. Check Your Windows Processes for anything that looks suspicious. Any unfamiliar process names that are comprised of random combinations of letters and numbers might be red flags. Do a Google search of the process name and see what comes up. If it is indeed spyware, you will likely find resources that will confirm it.
7. If you’ve determined that it is indeed spyware, try searching your computer for it, and then end the process and delete the .exe. If it automatically starts up again, youíll have to reboot your computer in safe mode to delete it.

By using all of the aforementioned precautions as well as removal methods, you should be able to completely rid your PC of any and all spyware, and have it running back to capacity. Even though some spyware is more or less just an inconvenience, other types are very malicious and designed with the sole purpose of robbing you.

Having a computer free of spyware is very important for your personal safety as well as your peace of mind. With a clean PC you can surf the web, shop online, and even do your banking with confidence. And you wonít have to deal with the slowed down performance often associated with spyware using up too many system resources.