The Wychwood Online Club
In association with Oxfordshire Rural Broadband
In association with Oxfordshire Rural Broadband
Copyright © ORB 2009
Get the answers to those questions you've always wanted to know but never got round to asking
Q
What are viruses, spyware and other pests and how to protect against them.
A
There are a number if different threats to your computer generally under the name of malware. Increasingly these are used by criminal activities looking for information that can be used to carry out credit card fraud or identity theft. The general rule as always is, if it looks unusual or strange threat with extreme caution.
Viruses self-replicate within computers and across networks and alter files or data. They usually require some action on the user's part to start, most often just clicking an executable file attachment on an e-mail (although embedded programming in an e-mail message can execute a virus program). Typically, people think that the file came to them from a trusted source or is something they want to see.
Worms are a virus variant that can infect a computer without any user interaction. A worm doesn't alter files, but resides in active memory and duplicates itself. Worms use parts of an operating system that are automatic and usually invisible to the user. It is common for worms to be noticed only when their uncontrolled replication consumes system resources, slowing or halting other tasks.
Trojans are malicious coding hidden in within innocuous programming or data in such a way that it can get control and do its chosen form of damage, such as ruining the file allocation table on your hard disk. A Trojan horse may be widely redistributed along with a virus.
Spyware is programming that is put into your computer to secretly gather information and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program. Although not malicious in intent, spyware is often installed without your consent and even without your knowledge, as a drive-by download or as the result of clicking some option in a deceptive pop-up window. By the same token, adware, which usually includes spyware components, can also be considered malware.
Browser hijackers are programs that alter your computer's browser settings so that you are redirected to Web sites you had no intention of visiting. Most browser hijackers alter default home pages and search pages to those of their customers, who pay for that service because of the traffic it generates. More virulent versions often: add bookmarks for pornographic Web sites to the users' own bookmark collection; generate pornographic pop-up windows faster than the user can click them shut; and redirect users to pornographic sites when they inadvertently mistype a URL or enter a URL without the www. preface. Poorly coded browser hijackers -- which, unsurprisingly, are common -- may also slow your computer down and cause browser crashes.
Always ensure you have anti-virus software installed and up to date on your computer, even if it is within a well protected network.
Download our pamphlet on some suggested sources for protection software
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Always ensure you have anti-
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