As parents, college students and kids alike prepare for the back-to-school season, there are plenty of things on everyone’s minds. While university enrollees prepare to throw down hundreds on college textbooks, younger students are getting their school supplies lists from new teachers. However, there is one item that should be on every new school year list: anti-virus software.

These days, most every student uses a computer for homework, research and we cannot forget about games and music downloads. Using a PC is nearly mandatory in anyone’s daily life in the 21st century, especially a student’s. For many college students, heading back to campus means connecting their wireless routers to the university network, which may pose a greater threat than the Web connection from the comfort of your home.

The Information Age has opened doors to countless benefits, but also pitfalls. More students are expected to email professors or teachers with file after attached file of book reports and research papers. What about online classes? Many college campuses require students to participate in Web portal classroom discussions and work critiques, which utilizes file sharing. Anti-virus software is a key component of any student’s desktop or notebook PC, mainly because of the high volume of downloads, emails and files that are sure to make their way into each and every computer. According to a consumer survey, about 78% of respondents intend to spend the most on school supplies, coming in over apparel and book bags. While school supplies used to mean folders, pens and post-it’s, items like anti-virus software are becoming the norm and the necessary. After all, the more you use a computer, the better your security and virus protection must be.

Where do computer virus myths come from? It’s hard to say. One minute you think you know how they work, and the next you’re being told you can get viruses from cookies, Javascript on Web pages, viewing GIF files, and so on. All nonsense of course, but it’s understandable to feel concerned. And it’s a lot healthier than completely assuming you’re safe from computer viruses, because unless you get rid of your PC that certainly isn’t true.DefinitionsA virus is a computer program that is designed to enter PCs without the user’s knowledge, then replicate itself throughout the system. Some viruses carry a ‘payload’ which activates eventually – this can be anything from displaying a silly message on the screen to wiping out all the files on your hard disk.An important step to protecting yourself is to realize when programs are running on your PC, because viruses can exploit them all. The first opportunity occurs when you switch on your computer. Both floppy disks and hard disks contain a little ‘boot sector’ program, which either displays a ‘you can’t boot from me’ message (on a normal floppy), or loads your operating system (on a hard disk). Boot sector viruses infect this program, so loading into memory every time you start your PC, then copying itself to every floppy disk you read.Other viruses target files containing program code; every time you run the infected program, it loads itself into memory, then might copy itself to other programs. Not just .exe files, either – .com, .dll, .ocx, .drv, .sys, and so on, are all at risk. After copying itself the original application continues to run and you never realize there’s a problem, until the payload hits you.Still, at least data files are safe, right? Wrong. Many Microsoft programs enable files such as Word documents and spreadsheets to contain program code (macros). This is great for automated office applications, but also presents another risk point. Just viewing a document carrying a macro virus can be enough to infect your whole system.Don’t PanicAlarmed? You should be, but there’s no need to panic. Modern antivirus software has some powerful features to prevent you getting infected. Two methods are particularly common.The first involves maintaining a table of virus signatures – sequences of bytes that occur in the virus program itself. Scan a downloaded file, and if you find that signature then you know the file might be infected. The signature approach is useful and quick, but can give false alarms if the signature occurs innocently somewhere. It’s no use on new viruses that aren’t in the signature file yet. And some viruses are polymorphic, meaning they change their own structure and just don’t have a consistent signature anyway.Fortunately the best antivirus software has another weapon in its arsenal – the heuristic approach. This involves looking for virus-like behavior – writing to an executable file, perhaps, or copying information to the boot sector. It’s a clever idea, and can even help detect completely new viruses.Protect YourselfInstalling good antivirus software is a great idea, but it’s only the first step. There are lots of other things you can do to help protect yourself. First you need to keep the software updated to cope with new threats. Some antivirus programs can update themselves automatically, but it’s still worth visiting the author’s web site every week to find out what’s going on. And don’t forget about the security settings on other software.There will always be some risk from viruses, but good antivirus software, combined with regular backups, should mean you can recover, if the worst happens.

The win32/adware.virtumonde virus is a Trojan horse virus which is annoying and generally a nightmare to get rid of. Most people will experience a virus at some point in their life but this one, I have to say, is one of the worst there is. I say that because of its annoyance rather than it completely destroying your computer.

What is it?

win32/adware.virtumonde virus (or Vundo) is a Trojan horse virus which is said to infect your system by going through Java. For those of you who don’t know much about computers, don’t worry it’s not Java that is the problem, so don’t get carried away with yourself and delete Java! The virus usually attaches to the system using bogus Browser Helper Objects (BHO) and DLL files attached to Winlogon and Explorer.exe. This can cause a great deal of trouble and is rather frustrating. After you review the material presented below, follow up on my advice to ensure your computer’s safety.

Have I got it?

Most computer viruses act just as human viruses hat can make you sick. It first starts off with symptoms and the symptoms for the Vundo virus are multiple pop ups. When you have Vundo, it causes the infected computer to use the web browser to trigger pop up advertisements You will quickly be able to recognize them because they usually claim to have software which will detect viruses on your computer and will “fix” your computer – when obviously they won’t. This is a scheme to either get you to buy their software, or a way for you to activate more viruses.

You also may notice pop ups on your computer when you start windows, usually saying something about DLL files (with bizarre names) you will notice that these files are in the Windows/System32 directory and pop up when your computer starts, after you log on.

How to get rid of it?

Like most viruses, fortunately there is a way to get rid of it. Obviously, having a good anti-virus program will eliminate the need to even ask this question but if you are unaware of the best packages then I suggest, AVG (which is a free tool to get rid of spyware and viruses), Norton Anti-Virus and MacAfee. All these software packages are available in the shops and on the web. AVG is only available on the web but is easy to find – simply “Google” AVG and it should be available for download from somewhere.

If this doesn’t immediately work then you may need to restart your computer in safe mode and run the virus scan again. Sometimes these viruses hide quite well. Once you’re all sorted make sure you run your virus protection regularly and if you have a software package which has real time protection – use it. There are many types of viruses around at the moment and it is easy to get one when you are not protected. Using anti-virus software with regular updates and online real time protection is the best way to stay safe online in today’s world.

The fact is, virus coders are becoming more sophisticated every day. As computer users become more educated and anti virus software gets more effective, virus coders are always looking for ways to get past both internet users and anti virus software.

This means that users need to remain ever vigilant to avoid becoming the victim of a potentially very harmful computer virus. It is important for every computer owner to know that not all viruses are the same. Some computer viruses are just annoying, generating popup ads as you browse the web, or increasing the amount of SPAM you receive.

Other types of computer virus, however, can be more dangerous. Some computer viruses can wipe out a hard drive, or steal your personal information and files. To make matters worse, some computer viruses are able to hide in a computer for some time, activating at a future date and doing their damage when triggered by certain events or dates.

Fortunately, computer owners do not have to be at the mercy of computer virus coders. There are a number of measures computer users can take to protect themselves from viruses, Trojan horses, adware, spyware and other malicious code on the internet.

For starters, it is essential that all computer users install a good quality anti virus software program BEFORE their computer is connected to the internet. This is because there are programs that constantly search the internet, looking for computers that are unprotected by virus scanning software. A recent survey by a security organisation found that it takes only minutes for a computer to become infected with viruses and spyware. Installing an anti virus software program is vital to protecting yourself from these malicious programs.

It is also important to update that anti virus software program on a regular basis. In the past, many computer security experts recommended doing updates on a weekly basis, but most agree that weekly updates are no longer sufficient. It is generally best to update the anti virus software you install daily, and to schedule those updates to run automatically. Running the updates automatically will ensure you do not forget to update the software, and running the updates daily will ensure that you are protected against the latest threats.

Most users will want to schedule the updates to their virus scanning software to occur during the night, when they are asleep. Running these updates when the computer is not in use is a good idea for a number of reasons. For one thing, updating the anti virus software when the computer is not in use will ensure that there are no conflicts, and that the program is able to update itself to detect the latest computer virus. Running the updates after hours will also prevent the updates from interfering with web surfing or any other activity. Running a computer virus protection update can sometimes interfere with other software, so it is best to run it automatically, when you do not need the computer for other things.

These days it is a must to have a good, reliable virus protection program. There happens to be a many good free virus protection software packages out on the internet today. The only way to protect our pc today is using software that acts like a antidote to the disease. By using this software you can take preventive measures of stopping the disease before it infects the system.
Removable media such as cds, floppy disks, usb keys that are infected and used in another system can carry the virus and infect the other machine. If you computer is infected with a virus you will need to remove the virus as soon as possible otherwise it can infect the system completely and spread to others. If a computer is infected by a computer virus the computer needs to be scanned by virus scanning software. When surfing the internet most likely you been infected with a Trojan, virus, or some type of spyware, according to many virus detection agencies, the unprotected PC is infected on average within 20 minutes of normal internet usage. Many systems get infected every day, you must take safety measures or your system might get infected, and the virus might corrupt your data on your system. A Computer Worm is a self replicating program, the first worm to gain wide attention was the Morris Worm this infected a large number of computers and earned its writer 400 hours of community service and over $10000 in fines. When a virus infects you computer it can replicate itself, use up system resources, allow a user remote access, record keystrokes to the infected computer, it also has the ability to destroy personal data.
You must take precautions because when you download it may contain spyware, adware or viruses, spyware and adware can collect personal data, record your browsing habits and no more about you. Ad and Spyware are programs that are automatically installed on your computer.
When your computer is infected with a virus they are designed to alter your normal computer functions and spyware infections are used to spy on you, one way they do this is by recording your personal information. Many times adware, viruses and spyware find what is called a “back door” to install and replicated itself you in your computer.
Downloading may sometimes cause error on the system or the entire computer system may crash. Many spyware or viruses are downloaded when downloading software and music. Many viruses can lay dormant without you knowing this, since you don’t know it is there it can attack at any moment when least expect it, it could attack when typing a report and downloading important. Whether you have learned your lesson from a past experience or not, try not to download unwanted files or open email messages sent to you by people you don’t know. Many people do all of this without any real understanding of just how vulnerable they are each time they are on the internet. Try to take precautions, find reputable software and install it to protect your system. There is free software on the web that will protect your system.

Peter Szor takes you behind the scenes of anti-virus research, showing howthey are analyzed, how they spread, and–most importantly–how to effectivelydefend against them. This book offers an encyclopedic treatment of thecomputer virus, including: a history of computer viruses, virus behavior,classification, protection strategies, anti-virus and worm-blocking techniques,and how to conduct an accurate threat analysis. The Art of Computer VirusResearch and Defense entertains readers (more…)

These days it is a must to have a good, reliable virus protection program. There happens to be a many good free virus protection software packages out on the internet today. The only way to protect our pc today is using software that acts like a antidote to the disease. By using this software you can take preventive measures of stopping the disease before it infects the system.

Removable media such as cds, floppy disks, usb keys that are infected and used in another system can carry the virus and infect the other machine. If you computer is infected with a virus you will need to remove the virus as soon as possible otherwise it can infect the system completely and spread to others. If a computer is infected by a computer virus the computer needs to be scanned by virus scanning software. When surfing the internet most likely you been infected with a Trojan, virus, or some type of spyware, according to many virus detection agencies, the unprotected PC is infected on average within 20 minutes of normal internet usage. Many systems get infected every day, you must take safety measures or your system might get infected, and the virus might corrupt your data on your system. A Computer Worm is a self replicating program, the first worm to gain wide attention was the Morris Worm this infected a large number of computers and earned its writer 400 hours of community service and over $10000 in fines. When a virus infects you computer it can replicate itself, use up system resources, allow a user remote access, record keystrokes to the infected computer, it also has the ability to destroy personal data.

You must take precautions because when you download it may contain spyware, adware or viruses, spyware and adware can collect personal data, record your browsing habits and no more about you. Ad and Spyware are programs that are automatically installed on your computer.

When your computer is infected with a virus they are designed to alter your normal computer functions and spyware infections are used to spy on you, one way they do this is by recording your personal information. Many times adware, viruses and spyware find what is called a “back door” to install and replicated itself you in your computer.

Downloading may sometimes cause error on the system or the entire computer system may crash. Many spyware or viruses are downloaded when downloading software and music. Many viruses can lay dormant without you knowing this, since you don’t know it is there it can attack at any moment when least expect it, it could attack when typing a report and downloading important. Whether you have learned your lesson from a past experience or not, try not to download unwanted files or open email messages sent to you by people you don’t know. Many people do all of this without any real understanding of just how vulnerable they are each time they are on the internet. Try to take precautions, find reputable software and install it to protect your system. There is free software on the web that will protect your system.

The fate of mankind lies in the hands of a group of scientists located in the barren, nether regions of Antarctica when a disastrous plane crash releases a genocidal virus engineered for chemical warfare by the military.

(more…)

Just as we depend on our computers for fun and entertainment, we simultaneously depend on software installed on that computer to protect it against persistent Internet threats. Our computers have become indispensable for both work and play, and we ought never risk the health of our PC’s by downloading programs that could be dangerous to them. Knowing that, we need to be observant for indicators of potential harm when downloading files from email messages.
As you are no doubt aware, there is a persistent threat of harmful emails sent from people who take pride in causing harm to your computer or attempting to separate you from your finances. The damaging emails are usually sent with attachments that cause destruction to your computer and key – if not all – data residing on it.
The emails themselves are harmless, but opening the attachment launches a virus or “worm” that make its way onto your PC and possibly also the computers of anyone you have listed as a contact in your email address book. These aren’t simply annoying or irritating; they can totally wipe out your ability to use your computer in a matter of seconds.
Frequently, the emails come disguised as from either a familiar address or a seemingly innocuous email name carrying a real attention grabber as a subject line. The content of the message entices you to open the attachment without providing much explanatory information.
There are many means of avoiding the receipt of these worms and viruses, and you need to be aware to adequately protect yourself and your computer. First, you should never open an email from someone you do not know, especially if it has an attachment.
Although some of these emails will automatically go to your junk mail folder, some will make their way through to your email inbox. If you don’t personally recognize the name or company, then do not open it, but rather immediately discard it into your junk email file to alert the email server you use that you will not accept emails from this person again.
If you do receive an email from an unknown source and open it, make sure to never open the attachment itself. Some attachments are automatically scanned for viruses by the email server prior to delivery. However, to be on the safe side, simply delete it.
Additionally, if the subject matter is not one with which you are familiar, delete the message and don’t even respond – as that simply confirms the validity of you email address to the sender, and they’ll continue to send more in the future.
Your best bet for avoiding all of this is to use an anti-virus program that safeguards your computer from PC viruses, even when you do open a destructive attachment accidentally. These threats are real, but very preventable if you follow email attachment safety.
Finally, when you send an email yourself, you should follow the same guidelines and never send an attachment to someone who is not expecting it. Otherwise your email may simply be discarded on the receiving end.

Many computer users live in fear of computer viruses. It is true that computer viruses can do a lot of damage that most likely could have been easily prevented – that is if they had a working up to date virus program.
First of all be reassured. Even if your computer is “wiped clean” or “wiped out” you may not be in the doghouse so to speak. If you use the computer mainly for browsing on the internet, then it is only a matter of a reinstall of windows to get you on the web again. Your computer is only a device to access the internet. It is as if you get a new phone to plug into the wall or a new TV to watch the channels that were there that were and are still there.
Your email most likely is safe as well. If you use a web based mail program like hotmail or yahoo to access your email – then your email is most likely still sitting on that company’s server in California, Bombay India or somewhere else in the world. If Microsoft goes bust, your lost email will be the least of your problems in today’s world. If you use a mail reader client like Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, then at the worst your new email is sitting safely at that computer mail server computer.
Next it can be can be said that we have gotten off easy with computer viruses. Well at least up the present. Computer viruses can be written by its developer to do anything the developer wishes. For the most part computer viruses have been relatively innocuous. The majority of the computer viruses that you will encounter, at present, in your career as computer user, are of the “Trojan” variety and are not that mean or destructive to your computer. . Trojan antivirus are computer viruses that patiently sit in wait for a signal from a control computer, somewhere in the world, to be part of a large scale computer attack on some remote computer to overwhelm that service and disrupt its function on the internet.. You may have heard such tales in regards to C.N.N. or Amazon having their internet service being knocked out of service maliciously. Believe it or not it is estimated that up to 50 – 60 % of most computers have these Trojan viruses sitting quietly and patiently in their computers and do not know and most likely will never know that they are infected.
The first rules of computer security is that if the computer is used at for storing delicate, sensitive or important data – then that computer should not be attached to the internet or have an internet connection. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t talk then you can never be accused of blabbing.
As an example there was a firm that was allowed access to very confidential government data as part of its business plan. . It was made very clear, by the government agency involved as a sponsor, that this data was most confidential. I f this information was somehow leaked or placed on the internet then dire consequences would occur. What could be a simpler message? And yet in this case, all for the convenience of the owner of the firm, the computer was directly attached to a fax computer. Even of that computer was only connected to the fax max machine computer for a split second that is all it would take for the wrong information to “get out”. Politicians follow the rule of deniability. Why shouldn’t you. ? Make your life trouble free. If the computer is nowhere near the internet in any way shape or form you can never be blamed. Simple as that.
The most important factor in computer antivirus protection is not so much the product used or installed – and there is no shortage of very reasonable computer antivirus products. The most important factor for computer antivirus security protection is that updates for the antivirus be done on a regular basis.
When you purchase a new antivirus product or complete a renewal product that is in essence what you are doing. It as if you are buoying a magazine subscription for the year.
By purchasing the subscription you are now entitled to antivirus updates for the coming year. New computer viruses are coming out “all the time”. It does you little good to be protected from last years plague. You need to be protected from the current viruses that are causing the havoc now.
Make sure that you either have a copy of an antivirus installed that has current virus definitions or if you purchased a commercial product that you have a valid subscription that allows you access to the current up to date virus lists. Next be sure that you run regular full comprehensive antivirus scans to detect and quarantine new and perhaps dangerous computer viruses. More featured commercial antivirus programs may do this automatically.
In the end most of life comes down to preparation and attention to detail. A major role of fire departments is not only to fight fires but fire prevention. Your computer antivirus protections scheme and program should be likewise