Thu 4 Oct 2007
What is it?
Malware, also sometimes called badware, is a program designed with a malicious intent. This could include things such as spyware, viruses, and Trojans.
Sometimes symptoms will be obvious like frequent popups or your computer crashing. Other times you may only notice small symptoms like your computer slowing down or you may not notice anything at all, meanwhile someone could be stealing your private information.
How do you get it?
In the past users had to be tricked into actively downloading something in order to get malware on to their machines, but now simply visiting a site can cause your computer to pick up malware. This is called a drive-by download and happens without the user even knowing that their computer has downloaded anything.
Most people know that opening emails from a stranger or visiting a less than reputable site will put you at risk, but did you know you can be affected by malware even if you only surf reputable sites? This is because those reputable sites can be targeted by malicious hackers who embed code on them which opens windows to other dangerous sites.
What can you do?
Stopbadware.org, a website dedicated to fighting badware (malware), has just released a great report “Trends in Badware 2007 – What internet users need to know” here’s a quick summery of what they recommend.
- Install trusted anti-spyware and anti-virus software (Here at LANcom we use NOD32 anti-threat software click here for more information)
- Keep your software up to date – Often updates to operating systems and internet browsers can fix vulnerabilities that are being used by malware distributors.
- Stay educated about potential threats
For more information click here to visit stopbadware.org
A couple of quick reminders
Haven’t updated to Internet Explorer 7 yet? Here’s another reason to. According to Microsoft, Internet Explorer 7 isn’t affected by the majority of vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer 6 and earlier. So even if you happen to visit a site that has been hacked, the chances of your computer being silently infected are greatly reduced. Click here to learn more about Internet Explorer 7 (to download IE7 go to the ‘Get it now’ section)
Remember even if you have anti-virus software you may still be affected by spyware, click here for more information.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:45 am
AVG download
February 10th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Remove And Block Spyware And Malware From Your Computer
If you get several random pop ups, and your computer is running unusually slow you are probably infected with spyware. Check out this great site to learn how to detect, remove and block spyware and malware from your computer! It is complete with step…
July 18th, 2008 at 9:26 am
www.easypcsecurity.info
If your looking for even more information on PC security then I would head over here as they have plenty of stuff on identity theft, antivirus software etc.