Computer Viruses and Removal

The problem is that computer viruses much like human viruses come in many forms and shapes. A computer virus unlike a human virus is completely human created. Hackers create viruses for many different reasons, some for money, some just to see if they can do it, and also identity theft. A virus is distruted mostly through the internet either a tainted link or site; or an email. Once you have the virus you can spread it without knowing it.

Malware: Short for Malicious Software; Malware is the broad term for software that does bad things to your computer.

Spyware: Software that hides away and spys on the user and the activity of the user. Spyware like keyloggers simply record the keystrokes of the user reporting the information back to the hacker.

Fake-Alert: Software that poses itself as a 'fix-all' or 'repair' utility. These software titles are often very vauge. See examples... This most commonly is presented on the internet as a fix to problem that 'it says you have'. The trick is you do not have a virus unless you hit the 'Repair' or 'Download' button. The message that is presented is very real it uses scary language, like 'Trojan Horse' or 'ID-theft', etc to scare you into clicking the button. It truly is a worm on a hook in the ocean and you are a fish, the hook is baited. Do Not Click It

Worms: A computer program that is intended to spread among other computers, often through email, overwhelming network traffic. A computer worm could include an actuall payload or program itself or could be with out a payload. A worm without a payload simply intents to overwhelm the network, consuming the bandwith. However, the worm could carry with it a payload to cause harm or create a zombie computer. A zombie waits dormant untill called upon by the worms author, zombie PC's are often used in massive distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS) or click jack frauds.

Trojan Horses: Much like the historical trojan horse, this is a piece of software that poses itself as a harmless often helpful program, with malicious intent. Trojan horses are now being seen on smart phones such as the Android OS and IOS through rougue apps in the marketplace.

Rootkits: A stealthy piece of software that hides the virus or malicious software process. When a rootkit is operating the detection of the malicious process can be very difficult even with sophisticated anti-virus software. The term rootkit come from 'root' from the privilidged UNIX account and the word 'kit' refers to a component that implements a tool. Download a Rootkit Remover

So, how did I get the virus ?

The most common ways that individuals get a computer virus are

• Email attachments
• Rogue Websites
• Infected Software, Music, or Picture
• Mobile Devices
• Fake Anti-virus Software
• Read entire article...

...But I have antivirus software how did I still get a virus?

It is not uncommon to have an Anti-virus software solution and still have your computer get infected with a virus. There are several reasons for this.

1. Definitions used by Anti-virus software to detect viruses is based on what viruses are out in the wild.
2. Anti-virus software relies on trust to other applications in your system, thus a trusted application can be used to execute the virus and the Anti-virus software may not catch the malicious code.
   1. Java
   2. Flash Player
   3. Holes in the Operating System
3. Updates and Definitions Updates are Critical

Once a virus gets inside your computer the typical way a virus will operate is [Open] -> {Reproduce} -> [Run Code]. Soon the number of viruses will start doubling very quickly. It is not uncommon to find hundreds if not thousands of trace infections from one single infection. The longer the infection is inside your computer the more the infection will spread. The computer virus may even download more/different viruses. It is a good idea to get the computer disinfected right away.

Can I do it myself ?

Often the answer is yes, and you can even remove certain computer viruses using FREEWARE tools. In fact, I wrote a quick tutorial on do-it-yourself virus removal. Remove a virus for FREE

If you cannot remove the virus yourself or you do not want to, call ECC today. (360) 751-3429