Antivirus Blog

A common question asked by computer users is, ‘If I have antivirus and antispyware software installed, and I keep my Windows OS up to date, and I also use a firewall, how come I still get computer infections?‘
This question has riddled both computer users and antivirus software developers alike since the widespread use of high-speed internet first occurred. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the two main methods used by hackers to infect a home PC.

First, we’ll discuss the two main factors that contribute to this problem that security software has the greatest time dealing with: reverse engineering and social engineering.

Reverse engineering is the process of picking apart software by studying its means of detection in an effort to find a security flaw or to create a way around it. This method of bypassing antivirus security has been used by hackers for quite some time and is particularly effective against computers that are running outdated antivirus software. Therefore, the best way to protect yourself from reverse engineering tactics is to keep your antivirus software up to date.
An even easier way for hackers to bypass your antivirus security is by using social engineering, a process that exploits the human element to access the computer.

The most typical methods of social engineering are:

• Fraudulent emails
• Email attachments that claim to be very important
• Free offers that contain hidden programs
• Web sites discretely load software onto your machine when you click on a link

Of all the different types of computers that are online, the average household computer with a high-speed internet connection is by far the most targeted for attack. Teenagers are a very high risk group, since they are known to visit just about any website without hesitating. Teenagers are also the biggest users of file sharing software such as Limewire, KaZaa, and torrent clients, where infected files are constantly being distributed.

Additionally, teenagers spend a great deal of time on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, which are notorious for being targeted by hackers. ‘Phishing’ is the method of tricking the user into revealing personal information such as usernames and passwords. One popular phishing method is to direct unsuspecting users to an imposter site designed to look like a trusted site where they may already have an account and prompting them to enter their username and password. The information is then collected and relayed to hackers who may have several malicious uses for it. This is a particularly significant threat for those who do banking online or use sites that deal with currency exchange such as PayPal.

Residential computers, in general, tend to have a higher level of virus as well as spyware infections, primarily to do the way that they are used.
If you are running up to date antivirus software and your system still manages to contract infections, it may be due to a ‘liveware’ problem, which means someone that has access to your computer is using it for high-risk activity that may be allowing viruses to bypass basic antivirus detection. Educating everyone in your household about the dangers of using the internet and explaining to them how to go about their business online safely may likely prevent any future infections from occurring.

Spyware is annoying. There are no two ways about it. On the most severe end of the spectrum, some spyware may be used to steal your personal information and rob you blind or even destroy your credit. In milder cases, spyware is just a nuisance that can prove very difficult to completely remove.

No one in their right mind likes spyware. To remove it, there is no shortage of antispyware software that you can use to locate spyware hiding on your system and effectively remove it. However, this process can also get rather exhausting. It can be pretty frustrating to run your antispyware scanner every couple of months only to find a whole new slew of entries. So, how exactly do people end up with spyware on their system to begin with?

File Sharing
File sharing is one of the worst culprits. Attaching spyware to popular files and then distributing them is one of the most effective ways for the engineers of spyware to get their annoying software out there. Programs like Limewire, Kazaa, and several torrent clients are all notorious for aiding in the delivery of spyware. If you choose to use any of these types of services, make sure you know what you’re downloading beforehand. Torrent sites usually have user comments that will help you determine whether or not what you’re downloading is legitimate, but they can’t always be counted on 100%.

Software
Certain types of software, especially freeware, may come bundled with a variety of spyware. In most cases this type of spyware is just the annoying kind that collects data about your usage and relays it to the company that created it, usually for research. But this type of spyware can still hog system resources and you’re definitely better off without it. However, removing this type of spyware may cause the software it came with to stop functioning. Be sure to read the details in the terms of use of any new software that you install. If there is spyware bundled with it that is required in order for the application to run, it will say so somewhere in the terms.

Web Browsing
Sometimes spyware can be loaded onto your computer simply by visiting a website. This is very common among unscrupulous warez sites as well as some pornography sites. Upon visiting such a site, a malicious code will be loaded by your browser and then saved to your computer, which will then cause you to be infected with their spyware. For this reason, you should always use caution when visiting unfamiliar sites. Google recently implemented a feature that warns its visitors before visiting such a site with the message ‘Warning - this website may harm your computer’.

On top of using your best common sense, another great way to protect yourself from these types of threats is by implementing quality internet security software. Many of the leading antivirus software companies offer total security suites that will offer you a great deal of protection, with regard to spyware as well as just about every other type of malicious threat online. Take a look at the reviews online to help you best determine which security software is right for you.

Although PCs have dominated the computer industry over the years, Macs have always maintained a fair market share and have become very popular in certain key demographics. One common reason that people cite for preferring Macs over PCs is that they are immune to computer viruses. However, is it actually true?

Technically, no, it’s not. Macs are in fact vulnerable to contracting viruses to some extent, as are any type of computer. However, the global percentage of computer users that are using Macs is too insignificant to make them a big target for virus engineers. A computer virus written for a PC will not work on a Mac, just like any software written for a PC will not work on a Mac. Basically, it is not worth the time and effort of the virus engineer to write malicious code to work on Macs Vs PCs. With the vast amount of people that use Windows based PCs, viruses and other types of malware will likely continue to be written to target them.

Also, just like Linux, Macs offer one of the most secure operating systems on the market. The nature of the Mac OS is very different from Windows in the way that it functions and it is much more difficult to compromise its security.

This does not mean, however, that you should switch to a Mac simply because you want to avoid virus threats. With all of the quality antivirus and PC security software available today, it is easy to protect yourself and enjoy all the features that Windows has to offer without having to worry about virus attacks.

Since it’s not terribly difficult to protect your PC from viruses, you should factor in the other main differences between Mac computers and PCs to help you make an informed decision on which one is best for you. It should all come down to your personal preference.

If you do decide to go with a Mac, keep in mind that you are not automatically immune to contracting a computer virus. All of the same diligence that PC users should use while surfing the web should also be implemented by Mac users. Although viruses written for Macs are rare, they do exist. Assuming that you cant catch one will only improve your chances of accidentally doing so.

It’s pretty easy to go about your business safely on a Mac without stumbling upon a computer virus. Don’t download any email attachments from senders you don’t know and trust. If a Mac virus was to be distributed, this is the most likely way that it would be done, especially if criminals get a hold of Mac user email lists.

Even though downloading an unknown attachment that happens to contain a computer virus would probably not cause anything to happen since the virus would most likely be written for a PC, thereís no need to take that risk. The same laws of exercising caution while using the internet apply no matter what type of computer or operating system you might happen to be using.