What is Malware?
Malware is a kind of software that is engineered to harm your computer system. It can hijack your browser, redirect your search attempts, flood your PC with pop-up ads, track what web sites you visit, can damage your computer system.
How does it come to my PC?
There are several ways how you can catch malware. Programs that provide file sharing services are often bundled with malware. Other malware can be installed from the website as necessary software. Malware also uses holes in your Internet explorer and after you visit wrong website you get infected.
Advice: Don't use file sharing programs such as Kazaa and iMesh if you don't have professional anti-virus program. Don't install programs from Internet if you haven't read the End of User License Agreement. If you're aren't sure that you need this program - don't install it at all.
Types of malware
There are several classifications of malware:
- Malware can be classified based on its' performance
- Malware can be classified based on its' spreading.
- Malware can be classified based on what it does.
According to classification we find several common types of malware:
- Virus. This is a program that depends on host. This dependence helps to spread himself.
- Worm. This is a program that can do a self-replication task independently.
- Trojan. It is a malicious program that is disguised as legitimate software. It doesn't have self-replication property.
- Wabbit. This program can repeatedly replicate itself on a local computer.
- Backdoor. It is a part of a software. It enables bypassing the normal authentication procedures in computer system.
- Rootkit. This is a set of tools that hides tracks after computer system crack.
- Exploit. It is a piece of software that takes advantage of a bug.
Viruses and worms have the same property of self-replication. They are able to do copies of themselves and to spread it through the computer system. Copies are able to do the same task, that's why we call such program a worm or a virus. This property enables malware to reinstall itself after it has been removed, because it hides with all the copies deep within system and it makes very difficult to clean it.
How can I remove it?
There is a number of good softwares that provides malware removing. Also there is an opportunity of manual removal. Only don't try to delete files by yourself because you might delete very important files for your operating system and malware would still be there. Most anti-virus programs can help you, but not all of them can detect malware like Trojan horse. In this case you should have anti-virus and anti-spyware softwares.
Choosing anti-virus program you should know the requirement's for good software:
- The software should be user-friendly.
- It must have understandable and useful Help function.
- It must be easy to setup, because not only professionals need to be safe from malware.
- Anti-virus software must let you to decide what to do with the infected file- to delete it or to quarantine. It shouldn't take action by itself without your knowledge and permission.
- Good software should be able to detect both worms and viruses.
- After scanning you computer system, the software must give you a report of actions and infected files list.
- The software should let not only realtime scanning.
There are some softwares that meets most of these qualities: BitDefender, PC-cillin, Norton AntiVirus, Kaspersky, etc.
Trojan horse, malware can be detected and removed with Spy Hunter, PestPatrol, X-Cleaner, etc.[/l]
How can I prevent from it?
It is hard to prevent malware, but it's possible:
- Have a good anti-virus and anti-spyware softwares installed on you computer. And don't forget to update them once a week.
- Scan your computer system once a week.
- Don't install suspicious softwares from Internet.
- Before you install any software read the End of User License Agreement.
- Don't download music, video from unknown websites that contain a lot of advertising and pop-up ads.
- Get an Internet filtering software that would block gambling, porno and other websites that are commonly infected by malware.