Spyware, Viruses, Malware, Worms, Trojans, and Adware: Symptoms, Solutions, and Prevention

Virus:

A virus or computer virus is a self-replicating program, script, or code that makes copies of itself and then attaches itself to an existing file on the infected system or stores copies of itself on the system with harmless-sounding names such as “repair”. tool’.

The virus is limited to spread only by being transmitted or sent by an inadvertent user or transported on a portable storage medium from one system to another. However, if a virus embeds itself somewhere on a network drive, anyone who opens or clicks on the infected document or file may also end up infected.

spyware:

Spyware is software that collects information about users’ Internet habits, browsing patterns, email passwords, usernames, and even credit card information—in essence, “spying” on the user. unfortunate user. This type of software is usually installed without the user’s knowledge and may also transmit the collected data to a third party over the Internet secretly.

malware:

Malware can refer to any number of malicious forms of software or code that has been intentionally designed to perform one or more of the following malicious acts:

> Infiltrate a user’s computer system without their consent.

> Gather sensitive personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, or system passwords.

> Create backdoors or remote entry points to allow hackers to access the system.

> The destruction of critical data and/or corruption of system files.

Malware is a general term and is commonly used to include viruses, worms, spyware, Trojan horses, and some forms of adware. The actual intent of malware can vary, but by definition it is any software that is destructive in nature. Because the term Malware is so broad, it’s hard to cite a specific source for most infections.

worms:

A worm or computer worm is a self-replicating piece of computer code that uses a computer network to propagate copies of itself to the other nodes on the network. Unlike a virus, a worm can accomplish this without any intervention or help from the user. Also, unlike a computer virus, the worm does not have to be attached to an existing computer file or program.

Many times a worm will also be used to carry a “payload”. The ‘payload’ is code that is designed to perform some specific function. In some cases, the payload allows the worm to send documents via the infected system’s email accounts and attaches itself and its payload to the email as an attachment. When the unsuspecting recipient of the email opens the attachment, the process starts all over again.

Troy Horse:

A Trojan horse or Trojan virus is a program that is usually downloaded, installed and executed on a computer system which then appears to be performing some useful function but unknowingly allows unauthorized access to the user’s computer system at the same time.

Hackers use Trojans to gain access to a user’s computer remotely and then perform a series of malicious activities. These nefarious activities may include, but are certainly not limited to:

> Data theft.

> Log keystrokes.

> Download or upload files.

> Visualization of the victims screen.

> Blocking of the user system.

advertising:

Adware is advertiser-supported software that displays, plays, or downloads advertisements on the computer’s desktop or in the computer’s web browser as a condition of installing the software. Most adware is free to use, as long as you don’t mind annoying pop-ups that appear at random intervals advertising one product or another. I have seen some Adware that would open a new window every 1-2 minutes making the system almost impossible to use until the software had to be removed.

Additionally, Adware will almost always collect data about your Internet habits and browsing behavior in order to specifically tailor ads to better match the retrieved data. In that sense, it’s actually very similar to many types of spyware. In most cases, adware is simply a way of placing ads in the user’s face, although it’s a fine line before it can be classified as spyware as well.

However, with Adware, in some cases you may be given the opportunity to review and choose whether or not to accept the terms and conditions associated with the software before installing it.

IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO READ THESE TERMS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE DECIDING TO ACCEPT.

Symptoms of infection:

> Very slow computing performance.

> Random system crashes or crashes.

> Browser Redirection – Takes you to websites you weren’t looking for while browsing the internet.

> Excessive number of pop-ups that appear randomly while browsing the Internet.

> You are informed that your system has ‘hundreds’ of active infections and are redirected to a website that insists you pay and download their specific software package to remove the infections.

Solution:

There are many good antivirus/antispyware products on the market designed to detect and remove these types of infections. McAfee and Kapersky are good, but AVG and Avast! they have similar products and offer a free downloadable version. Be sure to complete a ‘Full’ scan of the system and to quarantine and remove all active infections. Configure your antivirus software to perform a “live” scan or real-time system monitoring.

Prevention:

> Do not install software you have downloaded from the Internet unless it comes from a known and trusted source.

> Be careful if you use file sharing platforms like LimeWire or torrent sites to download files.

> Do not open email attachments from unknown sources.

> Use a good antivirus/antispyware application and scan your system at least once a week. Make sure your antivirus software is fully up to date with the latest virus definitions.

> For Windows users: Be sure to visit the Microsoft update site and download all of the latest Microsoft security patches.