Everywhere you turn you see it on the news. Bird flu is on the rise and people are scared. Finding out more about it will help you learn how to protect you and your family.

H5N1: What is it?

Also known as Avian Flu, the H5N1 virus is commonly seen among wild birds and is as typical as the human cold and is transmitted between birds. Domesticated birds can also be at risk to catch Avian Influenza from wild birds.

There is an incubation period of 1-5 days between the time of exposure and the development of symptoms and can be fatal within 2 days. The concern and fear regarding this potential pandemic is that once a virus begins to mutate, it behaves differently and can be transmitted between species. This is the case with HIV. HIV began in monkeys and is commonly seen as a virus between monkeys. After the virus mutated, it spread to humans and the effects have been tragic. The virus is already showing signs of mutation as cases involving cats and pigs have been recently brought to light. The other fear and threat comes from the issue of Human-to-Human contact. If the Bird Flu mutates into a strand that is easily communicable between humans, we could see a pandemic of Avian Flu. Right now, the best way to prevent a pandemic is through careful prevention and monitoring the H5N1 virus closely.

Bird Flu: Symptoms

The symptoms are very similar to the Human Flu strains that we are familiar with. Fever, sore throats, coughs, muscle aches and pains, and general malaise are all signs of the virus. Other symptoms include Pneumonia and trouble breathing. If symptoms are identified early enough, it can be treated successfully. However, there is the threat of death if its left on its own.

Protecting Yourself from Avian Influenza: Goggles and Gloves

Currently, Bird Flu is being seen in Asia and Europe. Since the key to preventing the spread or mutation of the virus is protection, it is strongly suggested that those who are handling anything that has been potentially contaminated with the virus, wear goggles, gloves and masks specifically designed to protect against the virus. You should also make sure that you receive an annual flu shot to protect yourself from having common Influenza at the same time, should you catch Bird Flu. The two viruses together could mutate causing the strand that leads to a pandemic. Always practice good hygiene, hand washing, and stay away from areas that may be contaminated with AvianFlu.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/avianflu/htm/_no_100_no_0.htm

With this information, you can protect your family against a potential outbreak of the Avian Flu virus.

Today I want to talk a little about the dreaded computer virus. The goal of this article is to teach you, the home user, the fundamental skills needed to help detect, remove, and most importantly prevent viruses from infecting your computer. As the owner of a computer consulting business, I have seen 1st hand how much damage computer viruses can do. To help protect yourself from a virus attack, it will be necessary to understand exactly what a virus is. A virus is essentially a software program designed with malicious intentions, to copy itself and spread from one computer to another. What makes a virus so dangerous is what they are designed to do.

A virus, once installed on your computer, can easily corrupt or delete data from your computer. This can be anything from your latest Word document to the irreplaceable pictures of your loved ones. We will get into exactly what a virus can do later in this article. Now that you have an idea of what a virus is and what it can do to your computer, lets discuss how your computer gets infected. I have heard countless times from people, ” But I did not open any email attachments, how can I be infected?” While it is true that a majority of viruses are hidden within email attachments, they can also be downloaded into our computers in the form of images, videos, or even instant messages. I have personally removed a virus from Cd’s, jump drives, and floppy disks.

Lets talk about ways to help protect your computer from viruses. To protect your computer from these threats it is vital that you have an anti virus program installed and up to date. I have seen many times in the field computers that have anti virus programs but still are infected with a virus. Let me point out that not all anti virus programs are equal. I will not discuss in this article which anti virus program you should or should not use however email me and I will be happy to help you in that aspect. Your anti virus program will do you little good if you do not keep your definitions up to date. New virus are being identified all the time so it is vital to keep your anti virus program up to date on the latest threats. Another proven method is to use a firewall.

A firewall is essentially software or hardware that is designed to filter out information that is being sent to or from your computer. Think of a firewall as a Guard at the end of your driveway, before anyone enters your home they must first pass a set of rules or security checks you have given before they are allowed to enter your home. Some of the software-based firewalls include Norton Internet Security, Zone Alarm and Trend Micro. You may be using a hardware firewall and not even know it. If you have a LAN (Local area network) then chances are you have a router of some kind. Most routers come built in with a firewall, which is very effective at protecting your computer from viruses. Another technique used to help prevent viruses is to keep your computer up to date. If you are using a windows based PC, check Windows Update often for any security patches that are released.

Do not open email attachments if you do not know the sender, this is asking for trouble. Lets move on to identifying infected computers. As a PC technician, it is my responsibility to quickly identify the signs of virus infections. Computers with virus infections will often show some of the following symptoms. Please note, that the issues listed below may be caused by several problems, such as spyware, and are not specific to viruses. Your computer may be slow to start or shut down. You may be missing data on your hard drive or, in worst case scenarios, lose all data on the drive. You may experience strange error messages or you computer will shut down unexpectedly. Your fonts may be distorted and overlap or you may experience difficulties in printing.

These are just some examples of the harm viruses can do. Now the most difficult part, removal. This is a topic worthy of its own article as there are many different procedures in virus removal. I will discuss with you the very basics. If you think you are the victim of a virus do a thorough scan of your computer. It may also be beneficial if you scan your hard drive while in safe mode. This is usually accomplished by tapping F8 at start up, but refer to your computer’s manual for instructions to be certain.

If you do not have an anti virus program, first thing to do is get one! In the meantime you may use the services of an online virus removal tool. Many of the popular anti virus programs offer this service. My intent of this article was to help inform you of the dangers virus threats can pose, as well as giving you the knowledge to help detect, remove and prevent these threats. I hope I have accomplished this, and you can walk away after reading this article, feeling more confident of your abilities to protect your computer from virus threats.

Virus Heat is known as rouge spyware software. Many people who have anti-virus software installed on their system wonder how it got through in the first place. The answer is simple. Anti-Virus software does not protect against spyware.

How do you know when you have Virus Heat?

This answer is simple. Virus Heat is the name of the spyware program that pops up right away when you boot up your computer. It looks like a legitament anti-virus program. This software runs a quick fake scan on start up and then tells you that you are infected with all kinds of things. Your home page is normally highjacked as well and you most likely have a ton of pop-ups as well. In addition most people have a security shield that is active in their system tray.

How do I remove Virus Heat from my computer?

There are many different ways to remove Virus Heat form your system. The more important thing to consider first is full protection. You got infected because you did not have proper protection. It amazes me how many people just want to remove a virus or spyware but not consider full protection. Your just going to get in the same book again and next time it might be something far worse then Virus Heat.

Something you can try to do to remove Virus heat is go into you control panel and simply remove this software. Often times this works. It does not always work but it’s quick to try. Another great way is to do a system restore. If you were infected with Virus Heat just a few days ago then chances are this will work. You will still need to install anti-spyware software for full protection.

I already had protection so why did I get infected and why won’t my software remove it?

This simple answer is not all anti-spyware software is the same. Only a few anti-spyware programs are actually good at removing Virus Heat once infected. Many do a very poor job at preventing spyware in the first place. Any program that is free will not do an adequate job at protecting your system. It seems I have to fight with people over this all the time but after being in the computer field for a dozen years and repairing thousands of computers that have this free software to protect them I know for a fact it just is not enough.

Most of the time people get infected with Virus heat from a fake video codec. They are asked to download and install some software to watch a video or listen to music and that is how they became infected.

A virus infected computer can wreck havoc on your day to day activities. If you have identified any nasty virus disturbing the functionality of your system, you need to handle it as soon as possible. However, be cautious enough to detect virus as any error incident may turn out to be false alarm. It can be any hardware or software issue which may seem like a virus attack. Therefore, note all symptoms cautiously and see what the combination points to. If required then go for virus removal. If the problem turn out to be a virus, it is still important not to panic. You need a cool head to minimize further damage and to remove the virus as cleanly and efficiently as possible, don’t just get out your copy of FORMAT or FDISK and start formatting the hard disk.  In case the problem really turns out to be a computer virus, it is still important that you get the required tech support for immediate deletion. There are number of good antivirus available which offer virus removal capabilities. Removing some viruses is easy for some antivirus products. However, it is not sure that it would be able to delete all or not. When choosing a product, ask whether the concerned antivirus product can remove all common removable viruses. Next, it’s the antivirus installation, configuration and its regular updation. It’s important to update your antivirus product on regular basis to help it remove the latest viruses. Wrong configuration can let your antivirus product delete any of your important file or program. Some people take Antivirus same as Antispyware. Remember, both of them are different products designed for computer’s security. If you are new to computers and its security products, you can consider availing computer support services. The technicians offering such a support can help you with all your PC problems whether Antivirus installation, configuration or updation. You can search for a good computer support vendor on the Internet. And you will be surprised to see a huge plethora of support resources available on the Web. Simply, check out the kind of services offered and narrow down on the most suitable.

So, your precious PC has been attacked by nasty computer viruses and you need antivirus protection. If you are considering about availing computer repair services for the same, you must look out for kind of services, pricing, and features you are getting along. However, if you are not well acquainted with the technical aspects of computers, taking assistance from online virus removal support will be the best option for you. You must be thinking to download an antivirus software program from the Internet as an alternative to buying computer support. Well! Free antivirus programs are not always worth enough, as they are not updated as frequently as paid services. Threats to your PCs are everywhere especially if you are a regular Internet user. And not all antivirus programs are capable enough to deal with every kind of computer viruses. Therefore, it’s better to have expert’s advice by your side to keep your PC at bay from security threats. Your computer support technician is aware of all the qualities that an ideal antivirus program should have. In addition, he gets you the antivirus installation as well as its configuration done. You may even ask him to update the program for you. There are some antivirus software which can hamper efficiency of your computers and make them slower. Avoid selection of such antivirus programs with the help of your computer support technician. Antivirus installation is not the only service that you can ask from your computer support resource. There are many such companies which offer multitude of PC repair services under a single package which is really the icing on the cake. Next, we talk about availability of computer support companies. You just require switching on your Internet and you will be surprised to see thousands of computer support companies offering you the best computer repair services at the most competitive prices. Finally you should also be meticulous enough to take precautions to keep viruses away fro your system. Scan your computer for viruses regularly and keep your antivirus protection software up-to-date to help it identify latest security threats and dealing with them efficiently.

Protecting Your PC from Computer Viruses

With the Internet growing vast each day, you can’t compromise on your PC security. The risk of receiving infection has increased while you surf and download free stuff like music files, movies, and videos from the Web. Such matter is virus infected and multiplies itself once it gets into your system. Slow speed, redirecting of your startup homepage, frequent pop ups, shortcuts on your desktop, annoying advertisements and formation of unknown toolbars are some of the common symptoms that mark the entry of virus.

Computer Viruses

Well! How many people are actually acquainted with what a virus is? It is a malicious piece of software that clandestinely installs itself onto your windows without you knowledge. Computer virus mainly aims at deleting your system files, ruining your hard drive and functionality of your computer. In case, any virus is creating mess in your PC despite the presence of an effective antivirus support program, you must contact a proficient computer technician soon.

Help Online for Computer Viruses

With online computer repair coming up with a complete range of services and benefits for computer users, calling any expensive technician at your premises is futile. You simple go over the Internet and search for good online computer repair vendor and let them now handle your PC issue. Indeed, fixing errors caused by viruses, Antivirus installation, virus deletion are some of the most popular services available with companies providing online computer. Moreover, these resources are 24×7 available i.e. they provide their customers with round the clock availability. At some places, you may also get these services under a single package costing you a fixed fee.

As opposed to any physical computer repair showroom, online resources offer their services with a ‘NO FIX NO FEE’ policy which means that you don’t have to pay if the technician fails to handle your issue. Such guaranteed services offer good value for money.

These technicians will tune your computer for peak performance and ensure full protection against nasty computer viruses. As for taking initiatives on your part, you must perform a regular scan for your operating system with virus removal software tool to try keeping virus away from your system.

Plenty of viruses are being found in the wild all the time and the speed of affect these viruses on the computer increasing continuously. That’s not a issue to be identified these viruses by an PC Experts but we should take precautions before handling them and of course should avail Online Computer Repair Services to resolve your problems and not to try any specified software at all or, perhaps worse, the antivirus software or virus definitions database may be out of date. If you would like to get rid off from virus problems then avail the best Online Tech Support Services with unmatched price and offers.

“Various Types of viruses are being found in the web-space all the time and they spread and multiply very rapidly in the computers of users. Noticing them and recognizing them alone is not sufficient. You need to have specialized help to actually remove and clear your system from such threats. Users are finding Online Computer Repair services to be the easy way to resolve all types of virus problems instead of downloading any outdated or pirated software that might affect your PC’s performance.”

Privacy protection for the personal data of the user is the key at home and office and securing your company data is not negotiable. So build your security arsenal with Online Technical Support. Spywares and Adwares is the most common programs spread on the internet that will spy on user’s activities and as well on the market research.

Privacy protection for the personal data of the user is the key at home and office and securing your company data is not negotiable. So build your security arsenal with Online Technical Support. Viruses and Trojans are the most common programs spread on the internet that will spy on user’s activities and as well on the market research.

Virus, a kind of malicious software and hazardous to the health of your computer, is written intentionally to harm and/or steel your personal information without the permission of the user. Most viruses replicate with others and can cause a severe harm to your computer. There is no far explanation that everyone needs to safe their computers from viruses by taking Remote PC Help. Logic bombs go undetected until launched, and the results can be destructive.

Even with the safeguards, it’s still a good idea for most peoples to have PC Tech Support to get your computer free from these threats. Various types of Online PC Repair services are available to detect your PC problems and provide an effective solution to the user’s the satisfactory level.

With simply a computer and an Internet connection you can access an infinite number of Web servers, Web pages, individuals from across the globe and other digital entities from around the world but it also endangers your PC and the confidential data it contains about you.

Every day of the week virus, spyware, and adware creators come up with new, ingenious ways to gain access to your PC. These simple pointers will help keep the hackers at bay:

Stop and think before you click: Downloaded files that end with .exe, .com, .bat, and .scr, (also files with .doc and .xls extensions), can render your computer completely useless with a single click. Many e-mail programs block access to any attachments so take the extra time and think for a few seconds before you decide to open it or not.

Use an anti-spam filter: Most viruses and spyware are installed by various methods of Internet browser hijacking however, e-mail is still a very common source. Use of a junk-mail filter will significantly reduce the likelihood of running harmful scripts contained within messages.

Keep your antivirus software up to date: Using antivirus software that has expired past it’s subscription period is definitely not an option: Not only do you lack the crucial virus database updates, but you expose your system to malware that targets known flaws in antivirus software.

Prevention against WORMS and Viruses: Install antivirus software, update regularly, and use it regularly. Never open unsolicited e-mail attachments with the file extensions VBS, SHS, or PIF.Disconnect your network or modem cable when you are not using your computer.

Antivirus software is software that is installed on your computer that protects you from viruses. Antivirus software programs contain in the region of 40,000 – 100,000 “malicious software definitions” that are updated on a daily or as needed basis.

I highly recommend Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus (Free) for antivirus protection.

If in doubt try online: You should only install and use one single antivirus program at a time on your computer because multiple antivirus programs will conflict with one another and cause your computer to completely grind to a halt. If you have any doubt about your antivirus program’s effectiveness, you can use a free online virus scanner, such as Panda Software’s ActiveScan) or Trend Micros HouseCall.

Download with care: Any program you download and run on your computer system could potentially result in spyware or virus infection. Download software only from reputable online sources that guarantee that all software is free from malicious software.

Use a two-way firewall: Windows XP and Vista each come with a firewall that blocks unwanted or unexpected incoming traffic; it is enabled by default in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later. However for the best protection possible, you will also want to block unwanted outgoing connections made by spyware, viruses and scripts on your PC that attempts to either connect to a remote server or send out spam.

Windows Vista’s firewall does have that fucntionality, but configuring it is not entirely simple enough for the average Windows user. Instead, you can get one of several free bidirectional firewall programs, such as Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Free, or Agnitums Outpost Firewall Free.

Make use of antispyware program: Anyone who uses a computer can succumb to spyware infection. In fact, 9 out of 10 Internet-connected PCs are infected with some kind of virus. Spyware can be any application that tracks your online or offline PC activity, serves you adverts, redirects your pages and bombards you with pop-ups. If you use the Internet, its possible that some form of virus threats are already active at work on your PC system.

Spyware can ocassionally go unnoticed however, it is more likely that you will notice that it is present on your computer system due to the obvious symptoms that your computer may experience. It is EXTREMELY difficult to get rid of but not entirely impossible.

Even if you suspect you have successfully removed an unwanted program manually, a remaining dormant file can trigger a complete reinstallation the next time you restart your computer. And as a survival tactic, spyware programs often leave similar traces elsewhere on your system so you can often never eliminate it completely after only one attempt.

Spyware, adware, and some scripts / trojans slow down your system, cause crashes, and track your online activity. Antispyware utilities work much like antivirus software, detecting and removing the unwanted software from your PC.

One free tactic you can employ is to upgrade from Windows XP: As Microsoft service Pack 2 makes Windows XP much safer, although the operating system still has many security flaws which can be exploited, and it remains prime target for spyware creators.

If you still have a slow PC after trying the software above and you think it may be due to spyware, you can find more help and information on fixing your slow computer at Slow Computer Help.

PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER FROM COMPUTER VIRUS

As more and more people are becoming comfortable using their computers at school, home or in the office. It’s only a matter of time before they encounter a computer virus. Here are some steps to protect you from computer viruses.

Use a high quality anti-virus program. There are many different anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to help you find the one that matches your needs.

Always use your anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus software is always turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email messages, and any software programs you run.

Keep your antivirus programs up to date. Most programs come with a yearly subscription make sure you take advantage of the updates. More advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for “off hours” like 2AM when you aren’t likely to be using your computer.

Keep your computer up to date. From time to time operating systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date versions of your software.

Backup your data regularly. Most windows computer users keep their documents in the “My documents” folder. This makes it easy to back up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD or USB drives.

If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab, Kinko’s, or even digital photo printing store make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for not being up to date and properly protected.

Be wary of email attachments. Treat any email attachment as potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you weren’t expecting. Also be careful of attachments from people you know but weren’t expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading the contacts from an infected computer.

Use text email if possible. While HTML email is prettier and allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by opening an attachment.

Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe scan the program before you install it on your computer.

Be wary of links in IM or instant messaging software. Don’t accept invitations from people you don’t know and never click a link from someone you don’t trust, they can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.

Dr. Ripudaman Singh

With so many computer viruses lurking on the Internet ready to attack your computer, it is important that you are prepared for and know how to fend them off even before they arrive at their intended destination. Computer viruses can conceivably delete or destroy all the data on your computer. Worst of all, they can extract information from you computer and transmit it to other computers along with the virus itself.
It is essential that you protect your computer with an anti-virus security program which you can either download from an Internet merchant or buy at any computer software store. A good anti-virus program is one that is capable of detecting and blocking incoming viruses before they hit your PC, as well as detecting viruses that are already there. Once the virus is detected, your anti-virus program should be able to safely quarantine, repair, or simply delete infected files so your computer retains its optimum health and functionality.
There are three types of computer viruses that should be of concern to you. The first is a common and standard computer virus that is typically delivered through the medium of a launched program on your computer. The virus will then spread throughout your system and eventually infect other programs that it reaches. Most security software is designed to protect you against such viruses, but there are new viruses being developed every day by computer thugs, so it is vital that you keep your anti-virus definition file updated at least weekly.
The second type, and the one for which you are likely most familiar, is the email virus which can be sent unknowingly from person-to-person before being detected. These viruses are hidden in an email message; opening that message on the receiving end activates the virus. It can then collect, for example, the email addresses you have registered in your email client and send copies of the same virus to every person on your contact list. Most email services have built in protection that scans messages for viruses as an email is received, but the best protection is know what to look for in the first place. Email viruses “hang out” in emails from unknown sources and in attachments, usually from people you do not know.
Finally, the most dangerous of the computer viruses is the “worm.” This type of infection has the ability to worm its way from computer to computer across the Internet or a local area network. They copy themselves directly onto a computer without being notice, so you might not be aware you have one until your data is completely stolen or gone. They are written to seek out specific weaknesses of your security program through which entrance is made onto your computer. The best way to combat a worm is through a computer firewall. These front line security programs inhibit attempts to access your computer and alert you to when you have a potential danger.
Knowing now the high level types of viruses, you are in a more strategic position to protect yourself and your computer from pending dangerous data theft or destruction.