VirusDetails.com
What Is A Computer Virus?
A computer virus is an infectious agent or a piece of
destructive software that replicates itself inside a local or a
remote hard disk via files: software programs and specific data
files. It can usually be deployed via email messages or via a
web site hidden among the html pages.
In 1983, Fred Cohen devised the term "computer virus" describing
a small program that infects other software application programs
by modifying their software write-up to include a possible
evolved copy of itself. With this infected software application
program can easily spread itself throughout a computer system or
network using authorizations of every user using the same
program using it to infect other programs. Even the software
application programs that has been infected will also act as a
virus and thus the infection grows.
We can see that software applications are mostly the target of a
virus, on the other hand it can also infect certain types of
data files that supports executable content, for example, files
that are created using Microsoft Office programs that rely on
macros.
Specifically vulnerabilities in certain Windows products can
allow data files to be manipulated in such a way that it will
cost the host program to become unstable, after which a
malicious code can be introduced into the whole system.
References:
http://antivirus.about.com/cs/tutorials/a/whatisavirus.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/intro_viruses_wh
at.mspx
http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/howto/Articles/a2002-07-1
8-virus.html
http://www.actlab.utexas.edu/~aviva/compsec/virus/whatis.html
----- How To Find Out If Your Computer Is Infected With A
Computer Virus?
The best way to deal with any physical sickness is prevention,
thus the best way to deal with a computer virus is also
prevention. Remember the saying "An ounce of prevention is more
than a pound of cure". Don't wait for a computer virus to infect
your computer be prepared for it by installing anti-virus
software on your system, usually 1 anti-virus system is not
enough.
You have to do some investments to protect your valuable files
inside your computer. Prepare backups of every important files
you have and also make backups on cd's of every important piece
of software you have. If you are accustomed in downloading
software from the internet, the best way to do it is go to the
source of the software itself and download from them, a little
investment on the cd could go a long, long way.
Be sure if there's a visitor that want to use your computer at
home be sure to politely ask for the diskette first and run an
anti-virus scan on it first before you let your computer read
all those files.
Now to answer the billion dollar question: "How To Find Out If
Your Computer Is Infected With A Computer Virus?" It's actually
easy, if a virus is no more than a computer software program so
let the anti-virus which is also a software program detect it
for you.
Common sense like of course you know the speed of your computer
if it suddenly "slows" down on you your suspect is there's a
virus trying to copy itself to your hard disk. A simple reboot
and a scan will do.
The more helpful tips is to use http://www.virusdetails.com for
all your new virus warnings that are out there, common sense and
another anti-virus software program can't usually detect a new
virus out there. So rely on the expertise of
http://www.virusdetails.com that it can provide you peace of
mind.
References:
http://webclipart.about.com/library/weekly/blvirus.htm
http://groups.google.com.ph/group/microsoft.public.security.virus
?lnk=sg&hl=tl
------
How To Get Rid Of A Virus?
You need to learn first to protect your system. Prevention is
still best than a cure when dealing with a virus, don't wait for
it but be prepared for it.
The following protections will do:
McAfee for Windows McAfee version 8: http://www.mcafee.com/us/
Virex for Mac
http://www.mcafee.com/us/products/mcafee/antivirus/desktop/virex.
htm
Oak's Spam & Virus Filter Use Windows Update - always update
your software for readily available patches.
http://update.microsoft.com
How to Recover?
An excellent backup is 2 or 3 days old. Your anti-virus program
will tell you the infected file in most cases if it's a newly
deployed virus, so you better have a backup for that particular
file if it's a data file, if it's a part of a software
application program that you use, you need to quarantine the
said file and delete it when you are in windows safe mode and
uninstall the whole software program and install from a cd,
never use the backup of a software application program not
unless it's the last thing you can do.
Usually recovering from a backup is the best choice. Use an
autobackup software: http://www.han-soft.com/habt.php
http://www.quark.com/service/desktop/support/techinfo/view.jsp?fa
q_id=214
Practice Safe Computing
1. Don't open attachments! If it needs to be an attachment set
it up as .zip don't accept .doc/.exe/.scr files. Scan attached
files first before opening.
2. Use "Good" Passwords. Good passwords are consisting of
usually 8 or 12 characters, using lowercase, uppercase and
numbers on it. 3. Protect Windows from Network Trojans. Trojans
replicate themselves as well so better update frequent your
windows programs.
References:
http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/TVD/infectedpc.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_11818_rid-computer-virus.html
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3652/remove.html
http://technology.ohio.edu/support/virus/
http://www.help2go.com/Tutorials/Protect_Your_PC/Get_Rid_of_Spywa
re%2C_Adware%2C_and_Web_Browser_Hijackers.html