Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.

Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.

The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.

Protecting Your Computer

Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.

A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system.
With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.

2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.
Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.

3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.

4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.

5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

Recommended Antivirus Software

There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.

Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.

The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.

BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.

PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary. 

Fighting off Viruses: Advancements in Antivirus Software Suites

Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.

Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.

The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.

Protecting Your Computer

Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.

A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system.
With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.

2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.
Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.

3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.

4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.

5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

Recommended Antivirus Software

There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.

Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.

The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.

BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.

PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary.

We are almost to an end for our series on Spyware. In this series we covered:

1. An overview of spyware

2. What it does

3. How you can get infected

4. How to fix it

5. How to tell if you have been infected

Before we get on with the final article in this series I would like to let everyone know that in keeping with our current theme of computer and network security, we have the below available for Small Business Advantage members. If you are not already a member, feel free to JOIN HERE.

Available now for members is a collection of videos, software, graphics and more, that we have spent lots of time collecting from around the Internet. Here is a sample of what we currently have available with more to come.

-Free Videos related to Windows Vista and Apple security basics

-Free E-books related to computer security and operating systems

-Free anti-spyware tools and anti-virus tools

-Free Security seals and graphics for your website

-Our featured and highly recommended Small business IT security products

Hope you enjoy, but before you can take advantage, you will need to become a member of the Small Business Advantage.

Now back to the final article on Spyware: How Do We Prevent Spyware?

Spyware is software that infects computer systems and monitors all Internet and browsing activities of the user. Be keeping a record of the same, the software collects a plethora of personal information regarding the user of the PC and relays it back to the individual/ organization that has released the Spyware on to the PC. By doing so, the sender of the spy virus is able to keep a track on the person’s activities and is able to garner a wide range of information about the person which can be used in a number of ways. Apart from the obvious threat that is caused to the identity and the associated security of the person, the Spyware programs are also known to tamper the functioning of the computer by attracting viruses, slowing down the performance speeds and meddling with the computer settings.

As the rise of the treat posed by Spyware has augmented vastly in this last decade, methods to take action against it too have come up. While fixing Spyware infiltrations and removing the program from an infected computer with the help of ant-Spyware programs has become possible, the best way of protecting your computer is by preventing an attack in the first place.

As the adage goes, prevention is indeed better than cure, and in this article we shall discuss some tips and techniques the users can inculcate into their routines in order to be able to avoid any Spyware attacks.

The first common principle is to be aware of the links and pop-ups that you are pursuing. Mindlessly clicking on all that is offered to you on the World Wide Web is the worst possible course of action to follow. A majority of the offers for “free stuff” on the Internet can be revealed to be large scale scams that actually carry Spyware programs that once installed onto the computer track and record your every move. One should only accept download offers from trusted and reputed sources that are known for ethical conduct and have strict policies. This rule should also be applied to the process of opening attachments in e-mails.

The next tip is to regularly update your Browser and Server to keep all the entry holes into your system tightly shut.

The next step is to install a reputed and effective firewall on to your computer system. Some of the firewall programs available are the Spybot Search and Destroy which is available free of charge and also the ZoneAlarm, which too is free of cost. These programs can be used to scan the computer and record all the activity taking place on the system. If the presence of some objectionable program is detected the programs can be used for eliminating them. It is advised to use the services of there programs on a regular basis.

The most important tip and perhaps the most helpful one is to maintain caution at all times while using the Internet and its many services. It is important to be wary of all the products and services being offered on the World Wide Web as many of them are merely fronts for elaborate scams that could damage your computer system irreparably. Hence, whenever you encounter a program or a pop-up that seeks permission to store files on your PC or to download material, it is important to ensure that it is from a trustworthy source. Being alert and aware about the material you are transferring onto your computer can make all the difference in the world when it comes to safeguarding your computer.

The next tip is to ensure that all the aforementioned safety practices are put into practice by all the people using the computer. If it is a personal system, you can take the responsibility of being careful about the various threats and dangers. However if you are sharing the computer with a colleague or it is a family computer, make sure that everyone involved is informed about these principles and follows them effectively.

There are several ways of detecting a Spyware virus in the computer system. Some of these are described as follows:

When pop up advertisements that are unrelated to the websites that the user is visiting, appear every time the user surfs the web, his computer system may be infected with Spyware or any other unwanted software. These advertisements are usually promoting adult material or other objectionable matter.

The user may notice that his homepage as well as his search page settings are changed every time he restarts his computer. This means that a third party is tampering with the system and changing these settings. Even if the user changes them every time he logs on, they ultimately revert back every time the computer restarts.

The user’s web browser may contain additional toolbars that have not been downloaded by the user himself. Again, even if the user removes these toolbars, there are no changes when he restarts the computer.

When a Spyware virus is placed onto a computer system, it tracks the web activities of the user. The resources used by the creator of the virus slow down the computer and hampers the basic functioning of the system. Therefore, indications of an infection may be that a certain program crashes continuously at an increasing rate or if the system is slower than usual.

In order to detect Spyware at an early stage, the user must check the computer’s cookies on a regular basis. Every computer system builds up cookies which make the internet run much slower than normal. Cookies also allow advertising companies to identify which pop up ads must be sent towards the user. These cookies must be deleted on a regular basis in order to avoid Spyware.

Every website will prompt the user to download something or the other. However, the user should not click on any dialog box that looks suspicious. Every user must know exactly what he is installing onto his computer system. Here, the user must be sensible enough to realize that dialog boxes which announce that he has won a million dollars, is a Spyware which will ultimately destroy the computer system. The user must know what to click on and what to avoid, in order to prevent a Spyware infection. Therefore, the user can detect a Spyware even if he opens an email that is sent by an unknown email address.

In today’s day and age, it is recommended to run a personal firewall in order to detect a Spyware infection. Firewalls have the ability to sound alerts for both inbound as well as outbound activities. Every user must be on a look out for those unfamiliar programs that try to send out data from his computer system.

Currently on the market are software programs that will log every installation that occurs on your machine. It is best to leave these hidden on the system. It is possible to catch the installation of many spies in this way.
Anti-spy programs are those software that search for specific traces that are related to particular Spyware. Text string scanning is an effective way to detect Spyware. X-Cleaner is another software which not only detects the virus but also attempts to remove it.
Ironically, users can detect Spyware infections in their computer system by installing a spy software onto the system first. Since spy software is capable of screening all keystrokes, it can detect the existence of another spy software as well.
Running virus scans are secondary. If a computer system is infected by Spyware, the user must look for the above mentioned subtle warnings before the virus irreversibly harms the system of the computer permanently.

This week continues with the series about spyware. With the recent Conflikr scare, I think it is more important than ever for small business owners to take their security and protection of IT assets seriously. Having a customer database stolen because of some bad spyware can destroy a business in several ways to inlcude opening them up for legal action by government authorities and their clients as well for civil actions.

Thus far we have provided an overview of spyware and we talked about what spyware does. This week we continue with how you get infected with spyware

Spyware as the name itself suggests is software that spies on the computer system it is attached to by following and recording all the Web Browser activity taking place and relaying it back to individuals or organizations that make use of the personal and classified information for meeting a variety of purposes.

While many people remain oblivious to the threats and dangers posed by the Spyware program, the harsh reality is that the program can infest and attack your computer at any given time and from almost any part of the web, making it almost impossible to completely safeguard yourself against it.

Pursuing practically any and every of the popular activities on the World Wide Web leave your computer open to an attack from a Spyware program. It is imperative to have safeguarding software installed in your PC that detect the presence of Spyware programs and block it. If one is working online without the aid of these programs, the chances of being infested with a Spyware program are as high as 80%. It has been observed that all common activities taking place on the Web can leave your computer vulnerable to Spyware attacks and threats. These activities include using popular mailing services for dispatching, forwarding and receiving e-mails, using Instant Messengers and Chat Rooms for communicating online, using Download portals for transferring any form of data onto the computer: be it games, music, movies or E-books etc. the Spyware software most commonly creeps into the system when users employ the services of file sharing programs such as Kaaza and Aeres which involve downloading and uploading information on the Internet.

Another trick used by people to lure innocent individuals into the Spyware is to offer data and services for free on the Internet. As these programs, downloads, music, services and the such like are advertised to be free of charge, many people are understandably attracted to the offer and follow the download links further. The reality is that a majority of all these offers are basically Spyware programs camouflaged, riding on the disguise of legit offers.

Spyware program infects computers in mainly three ways. In the first way, the user believes he or she is downloading some safe material onto the PC while a software program piggybacking on the same too gets transferred onto the computer. In the second method, the user follows links in order to restore the computer to a good condition by finding a solution to some technical error. However, the “repair program” might actually be a scam that is disguised as helping software but is actually a Spyware program. In the third way, users are often duped into giving their consent to downloading seemingly legit programs that actually turn out to be a Spyware program.

An extremely common means of infiltrating computer systems is by fooling innocent users with the allure of Pop-ups. Many Pop-ups are a front for large scale scams that dupe users into accepting software into their systems. Most Pop-up software catches the attention of people by offering to repair problems in the computer. The question to ask at such times is as to how the makers of the Pop-up are aware of your computer and its structuring. In other words, it’s probably a scam and the wisest course of action would be to ignore these offers.

It is important to ensure that the highest security settings of your Browser are set. If there is negligence in this aspect, the chances of being attacked by Spyware increase manifold.

Many sites store cookies on your PC while you visit them. These cookies can help to track your activities on the website and store the information. Even though disabling the cookies is an option, it is bound to affect the working of some important, legit sites. For this reason, the best course of action is to regularly delete the temporary cookies stored on your PC.

Last week we started our series on Spyware. We have a few more articles on this topic for the future before we move to discussing the other little nasties out there that can threaten your business IT assets as well as home computers. This week we talk about what Spyware does, but before we begin, I want to let everyone know that the Small Business Advantage membership is no longer free, but almost free. Don’t worry if you joined free, you are grandfathered in and it will remain free. So for those who have yet to join, come check it out. Currently we have over 300 website templates, Project management software, e-book on PC security, free virus scan software and anti-spyware software, security seals for your websites and much more…all for free to our members. Follow the link below:

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Ok let’s talk Spyware…

For all computer owners and internet users, the mention of the Spyware software is undoubtedly a familiar one. Not only is a large population aware of the existence of the software, but are also at a risk of having their computers infected by it.

In order to be able to understand what the software does, it is important to first have a brief understanding about the software. In a nutshell, Spyware can be understood to be a kind of spy software program that infects the computer and monitors the usage of the internet, and thus accumulates a plethora of information regarding the Internet- related activities of the user.

The software works stealthily and most users are unable to detect its presence on the computer as the Spyware virus latches onto the computer via the means of concealed elements loaded within a number of shareware as well as freeware programs that the user might be downloading from the Internet. The greatest danger posed by Spyware lies in the fact that the user might take a long time to realize of its presence and in the time being the software can cause considerable damage to the computer system.

Thus, defining what the software actually does can be understood from the purpose it serves itself. The Spyware software once nested into a personal computer commences to watch the internet activity of the user of the computer. Details regarding any and every minute spent online are gathered and this collected information is then returned back to the individual who leased the Spyware software onto the computer to begin with. The Spyware software is used by a number of marketers and advertisers in a bid to gain personal information and information regarding habits and preferences of potential customers to gain an edge in their businesses.

The danger from Spyware stems from the fact that the virus can record almost any detail regarding activity over the internet, ranging from websites visited to transactions made, from recording keystrokes to memorizing passwords etc. In some extreme cases, Spyware software has been known to make copies of classified and personal information regarding the user.

There are a number of other things that Spyware software can accomplish, all of which weaken the user of the PC as the information regarded or disclosed is often personal in nature.

The software can cause damage to the main computer system. This can be noticed in two different ways. In many cases the performance of the computer is seen to get retarded and the computer works at a very slow pace. In the extreme cases, the software has been known to cause a lockdown of the whole system.

Some mischief making individuals often release a Spyware virus that attaches to a PC and affects it by capturing the home browser page and adjusting it to a different website, usually one with pornographic content.

Many times the presence of the Spyware software on a PC leads to the building of a toolbar full of viruses and other Spyware related programs in the Internet Explorer, thus causing further intrusion into the personal life of the user.

The various viruses released onto the computer very often cause the Internet Explorer and the Windows Explorer to disintegrate and crash,

The Spyware software can steal confidential information from the PC using keyboard monitoring software. Credit Card related information as well as other ID data is often taken from the PC by this software with the mal intention of identity theft related crimes.

The Spyware software can also monitor the Internet usage of an individual and make records of details about websites visited, time spent, content pursues and so and so forth, and the information and data collected by the software is often relayed to owners and administrators of other related and even unrelated websites.

Protecting oneself against Spyware software becomes imperative in the light of the intensity of personalized information that may be leaked out to undesirable sources.