Malware

Malicious Software, or malware, is a term used to describe all forms of software which has undesired effects. These include computer viruses, worms, trojans, adware and spyware. If you wish to keep your computer a safe place to both keep your data and to browse the web without fear of your confidential information being stolen from you, you need to keep your computer secure from these threats.

Computer viruses, self replicating worms and trojans can all be prevented by using any of the leading anti-virus software packages. If your computer anti-virus software installed, and is regularly updated with the latest virus patterns, your computer should be secure from these threats.

Spyware and Adware are both more difficult to classify as unwanted due to the way in which they distributed. They are packaged up with free software, with the author of this software being paid for every instance of this malware threat installed on an unsuspecting user’s computer. Since there is usually something written in the small print hidden away in the terms and conditions for this package, the removal of the malware constitutes a breach of contract. Several leading security firms have been taken to court for providing removal tools for these threats. Because of this, anti-virus software will rarely remove adware or spyware, so it is recommended to use two different anti-spyware/adware programs, with the hope that between them they will cover all the major threats.

The purpose of adware is to bombard the user with adverts, even while not browsing the internet. The effects of this do not stop at being merely annoying, as they can slow down the computer, decrease workers productivity by taking up a considerable amount of their time, and also lead to frequent system crashes. Removal of this threat is commonly done by regularly scanning your computer with two different anti-adware packages.

Spyware gathers confidential information from you without your knowledge, and passes this information onto the criminals so they can use it for various purposes such as identity theft. The use of two anti-spyware software packages is recommended for its removal. Personal Firewalls are also highly recommended to prevent this threat since they will often stop these packages from ‘calling home’ with your confidential information.