Anti-virus software is software that you install on your computer so that you can be alerted when you have a virus. Anti-virus software will help to keep your computer safe against worms, viruses, Trojan horses, and other uninvited programs.

Ten years ago, it was a lot easier to protect yourself from viruses. There were only a few anti-virus solutions available. You went and bought one, installed it, and kept it updated. But nowadays, there are numbers of different anti virus solutions. Some of them are great, some are good, and others are horrible and should not be trusted with protecting your computer. So how should you figure out which anti-virus software to use?

The antivirus software should be compatible with your computer system. Compatible in the sense your computer should be able to run the software with ease and hence not overloading the system. However good an anti virus software is, if it doesn’t run on your computer, it is uesless. Before purchasing one you should cross check its requirements with your computers configuration.

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storage area networking companies

My colleague Sharon referred to as just lately to ask for my e mail address.  Her challenging push crashed and she was in the system of rebuilding a new generate–software by software and, it would seem, a person e mail tackle storage area networking certification at a time.   Anything on her outdated push was gone, such as the pics from her recent trip.  Alas, the backups she had been doing so religiously just about every night time contained practically nothing.

No a person genuinely expects a disk crash but generate failures do occur-and frequently at the most inconvenient instances.  In addition to the feasible reduction of important data files, a disk crash can leave you with the daunting task of getting to replace the dead push and reinstall your working method and all of your apps. When you’re doing this-assuming you know how to do this, your computer system remains nonfunctional.

Advantages Of An Exterior Really hard Generate

Now, when people accessibility the web, their personal computers are uncovered to such protection threats as viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware. Even when customers have put in a thorough safety software, there are still risks that their personal pc can be turn out to be infected storage area networking cisco by a damaging virus which could injury or destroy pc files. 1 of the ideal ways of protecting your files and other facts on your computer system is to use an external drive.

This gadget sits exterior the pc in its personal enclosure. This portable really hard generate connects to the personal pc implementing an interface cable. The cable allows the laptop or computer and exterior difficult generate to communicate so that information can be transferred involving each and every one. The most common kinds of interfaces are Firewire and USB. The enhancement of drives has significantly benefited personal computer end users.

Definition of a Hard Drive

The personal computer tough push, which is only a element inside of your process, outlets your data for you permanently. When you want to locate a document or look and feel at your photographs, your personal pc running system locates them on your tough generate and then displays them on your observe. A simple definition of a very difficult push is a sealed system which has the ability to retail store digital data on self contained magnetic disks, termed platters, which are published to and read by a distinctive head at the conclusion of an arm which operates pretty similar to a family document player. If you photo in your thoughts a document player, also named a turn table, it has a needle at the finish of an arm that plays the new music as the document spins. The element in your fixed disk which reads the info is positioned really shut to the spinning platter and moves quite swiftly to distinct places of the platter the place the information desired at that second in time is stored.

When you are working with a laptop or desktop pc, and you double click on a folder you want to open, the running process, these types of as Microsoft Windows XP or Vista, in fact tells the fixed disk that it would like to see the contents of the unique folder which you double clicked on. The platter within just your product ought to spin close to to the place the head is able to retrieve the data which is magnetically stored on the really hard generate and then send it to the operating program so that Windows can exhibit the contents of the folder on your laptop keep track of. Now, this is a very primary definition of a challenging generate in motion for the reason that in reality there are a lot of components involved in this procedure these kinds of as the CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Entry Memory), the motherboard, and so forth.

ten Indicators That Your Hard Push Is About to Fail

In spite of the reliability of most personal pc techniques right now, they are all mechanical devices and all are destined to break down and prevent working at some position due to bodily damage, logical problems or purely wear and tear.

When they do, they can get your essential files and information with them, causing you needless worry and cost to get your data back, if it can be retrieved at all. Whereas from time to time tough drives do fail unexpectedly devoid of warning, there are typically indications that your difficult disk is beginning to break down. If you can recognize these signs and back up your essential information ahead of a full crash happens, you can conserve by yourself a whole lot of headache with storage area networking.

The very first point to look out for is software containing spyware, adware, or other destructive computer software. Certain computer registry cleaner software programs available on the web, particularly the free of cost kinds, might actually spy ware in disguise. When you install the software program (which may or may not even work), it usually covertly loads harmful spyware that might steal your identity or break your computer.

In order to avoid this, do some research on the product before you set it up. In the event that the product you are considering using has a reputation for being related to spy ware or ad ware, then avoid using it. The application might do more harm than good.

The next problem to study and stay away from whenever buying is software programs that will give you false positives. A false positive is simply whenever computer registry cleaner software identifies harmless computer registry entries as problems needing to be fixed or even deleted. This is essentially a cheap trick to actually inflate their statistics, to make their software program report identifying a great deal more computer registry problems than there really are. This tends to make their program appear a lot more exhaustive and effective when compared to their competition. In reality, it doesn’t benefit your computer in any way, and in some cases could possibly indeed damage it. It could inadvertently erase computer registry entries that the computer must have to operate.

Prior to investing in computer registry cleaner software, seek out consumer assessments of that particular computer registry tool. In particular, try to find reviews made by qualified industry experts, as opposed to amateur reviewers giving only naive individual opinions. If, whenever professional tested, that computer software has reported a very high volume of false positives, in that case stay away from it and search for different programs.

One more item to be aware of is computer software that will require you to perform manual scanning. computer registry cleaner software only succeeds in the event you put it to use consistently. Whenever you will have to operate your software program by hand, it can be very easy to overlook for months on end. The good thing is, it’s very easy these days for computer software to have a built-in scheduler.

Built-in schedulers can on auto-pilot scan your computer as often as you wish at a time of your own choosing (like at night when you are usually not operating your computer). Nowadays, there is no excuse for computer registry cleaner software to be without a good automatic scheduler, and most do. The few that do not, however, should be avoided.

This should present you with some basic guidelines of what to consider and what to keep away from in computer registry cleaner software. When you invest in registry cleaner software with a good reputation along with automatic scheduled scanning, you can be pretty sure that your computer registry is being properly looked after.

1. Always make backups of important info and store in a safe place separate from your computer.

2. Update and patch your operating system, net browser and software frequently. If you’ve a Windows operating software, start by going directly to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update magician. This program will help you in finding the most recent patches for your Windows computer. Also go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com to locate possible patches for your Office programs.

3. Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malicious software and adware can all easily access your computer from the internet. Consideration should be given to the advantages and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.

4. Review your browser and email settings for perfect security. Why should you do this? Active-X and JavaScript are usually utilised by hackers to plant dangerous programs into your computers. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on the web to build a profile of you. At a minimum set your security setting for the “internet zone” to high, and your “trusted sites zone”" to medium low.

5. Install antivirus software and set it for automated updates so you receive the most up to date versions.

6. Do not open unknown e-mail attachments. It is just not enough that you may recognize the address from which it originates because many viruses can spread from a well-recognized address.

7. Don’t run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to friends and workers because they contain funny or entertaining stories or jokes. They may contain trojan horses waiting to infect a PC.

8. Disable concealed filename extensions. By default, the Windows operating software is set to “hide file extensions for known file types”. Disable this option so that file extensions display in Windows. Some file extensions will, by default, continue to remain concealed, but you are more likely to see any unusual file extensions that don’t belong.

Broadband:  Broadband or high-speed Internet access gives users access to the internet and internet-related services. Broadband services for residential consumers typically provide faster dowload speeds (from the internet to computer) than upstream speeds (from computer to internet).

3G broadband: What is 3G broadband? It’s currently the most common manner most smartphones and mobile computers access the web via a signal from a mobile internet service provider. It is called 3G because it is the ‘third generation’ of mobile technology.  Most of the US, UK and Europe is now supported by 3G network signals from the leading suppliers.

Anti-spam: Used to prevent e-mail spam; which is also called junk e-mail or electronic junk mail.   Email spam usually involves sending nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail. A common synonym for spam is UBE which stands for unsolicited bulk e-mail. There are various anti-spam techniques.
Anti-spam approaches can be broken into four general categories: those that need actions from individuals, those that can be automated by systems administrators, those that are automated by e-mail senders and those utilized by researchers and law enforcement officials.

Anti-virus: This is software that attempts to guard computers, laptops, and smartphones from malicious internet (including email) transmitted malware.  Malware is malicious software applications often designed to be intrusive or damaging.  Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are typical forms of malware.

Malware is not just an annoyance, it typically damages computers and smartphones while potentially stealing personal data.

There are many bad people out there causing problems and some kind of anti-virus software program is mandatory on a broadband-enabled computers, laptops, and or mobile phones.   

Namebrand anti-virus software applications such as Norton or McAfee are often bundled by mobile internet service providers and supplied for free.  Many people rely on free versions of products like Avast and AVG.  One way or another – the reality is an anti-virus software application is necessary to protect computers, laptops, and cell phones.

Anti-spyware: Spyware is broad category of malicious software that will implant itself on notebooks, and cell phones via broadband internet connections. Spyware is designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer or smartphone operation without permission from the device’s owner or legitimate user.  Spyware is nasty computer software programs that surreptitiously obtain, monitor and report information from a person’s computer without their knowledge or permission.  This can include private information such as details of sites visited, and even e-mail.

Capping:  In mobile data connection  terminology capping describes a cap, or limit, on the data allowed to download under terms a specific contract.  When the cap is exceeded, additional fees often apply.

Dongle: In mobile network  terms dongle is the word that typically is used to to describe the small device that plugs into another internet-enabled device to receive a mobile internet connection  signal.  Also sometimes called a ‘stick’, these devices plug easily into a USB port on a laptop or PC and contain a SIM card from a mobile internet connection supplier, in the same way a mobile phone accesses data and the internet.

Bandwidth Download speed: Bandwidth Download speed refers to how quickly a file (of data) can be downloaded from a remote source.  This mobile network term  describes how fast a connection can deliver data to a computer.  To “download” something means to put it on your computer, typically by the internet.    This is normally from a website that has the file that you want, or from another user that allows you to download the file directly from them.  Similarly, anything going the other way from the computer to the internet is being ‘uploaded’ , such as sending  photos to a website.

Femtocells: Femtocells use network and boost the 3G signal to make cell phones – and devices with a dongle – work better.   A femtocell is a wireless access point that provides localized 3G broadband coverage.  Often it is very small base station that receives internet connection provider or ISP signals and boosts it around a small area, such as your house, office or event center.  They are expected to become quite common and will be important in location based services and marketing.

Firewall: A firewall is a software component used to stop unwanted traffic arriving on computers, laptops or smartphones over the internet. The firewall will analyze incoming data that connect to the computers, laptops or handsets, and if it doesn’t meet the settings allocated to it, the data transfer will be stopped.

Firewall virus software programs are often included with anti-virus software applications as well as sometimes being available free versions.    Firewall software programs   need to work with anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-spam software to be most effective.

Fixed-line: Fixed-line broadband is a term used to describe either cable or ADSL internet connections.  The term is mostly used to differentiate fixed-line broadband from mobile broadband which is wireless and uses a mobile internet connection signal network.

Gb (or gigabit): Giga means one billion. Gb  (note the small b) an abbreviation of   gigabit, a unit used to describe internet data speed (also sometimes written as Gbps, or gigabits per second). Current broadband connections are measured in Mb (megabits per second) – there are 1024Mb in 1Gb.

GB (or Gbps, or gigabyte): GB is an abbreviation of  gigabyte, which is often used to express the size of computer files and memory storage capacity. There are 1024 bytes in a kilobyte (KB), 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte (MB), and 1024 megabytes in a gigabyte. To give a better idea of usage, a small Notepad file is typically measured in bytes, a basic Word document in kilobytes, a music file in megabytes and a DVD movie in gigabytes.

HSPA, HSDPA, HSUPA: HSPA stands for ‘high speed packet access’. HSDPA is an acronym for ‘high speed download packet access’ and HSUPA stands ‘high speed upload’ packet access’, each expresses the same technology either sending or receiving data.  It is the latest advancement in quality for mobile broadband usage, working on various 3G mobile data connection networks to improve the speed of data transfer.

HSPA Evolved, HSPA+: The next generation of HSPA is Evolved HSPA (or HSPA+) with potential mobile broadband speeds up to 42Mb.

ISP:ISP stands for internet service provider.

Kb (or kilobit): Kb is an abbreviation  kilobit, which is a term used to describe the speed at which data travels across an internet connection also written as Kbps, or kilobits per second.  It was typically used to measure dial-up internet speeds and still  appears with slower mobile broadband connections.

LTE: LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, and is one of the next generation of mobile broadband technology.  It is supposed to be capable of data transfer rates 15 to 100 times faster than current 3G mobile networks.

Mb (or Mbps, or megabit): Mb is short for Megabit, and also written as Mbps, which stands for megabits per second.  Mb commonly is used to describe the measurement of internet speeds. A Mb is 1024Kb, while there are 1024Mb in a Gb.

MB (or megabyte): MB is a contraction of for megabyte, which is a term used to describe the size of computer files and storage capacity.

Usage allowance: This expression describes how much data allowed to transmit through a mobile broadband connection. Typically it is either a fixed monthly quota, or a pay as you go. Using more data than contracted can result in additional fees.

Wi-Fi: Pronounced ‘why-fye’, Wi-Fi is an abbreviation of Wireless Fidelity. It is a trademarked term of the Wi-Fi Alliance that refers to certified products that belong to a class of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards.

But, commonly it is taken by most to mean any electronics that function over a Wi-Fi network, technically but less likely referred to as a WLAN.  Wi-Fi is the term more commonly used rather than the term technical IEEE 802.11 technology.

WiMAX: This expression is a contraction of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access – a new broadband technology that claims to offer a wireless broadband alternative without the need for cables. Similarly to LTE, WiMAX is being considered as the next generation of mobile broadband.
WLAN: WLAN is a contraction of for wireless local area network, and is more typically called Wi-Fi.

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Commence with the hardware.  If you choose to change your processor, you’ll also have to change the motherboard.  Since this is costly, you can just increase the RAM of your computer.  The RAM can make a big effect on your PCs performance.  In addition, you can also install a dedicated graphics card so the whole load will be taken off your processor and speed up your computer.

Do a scan to detect and repair blunders.  Use the error checking application to test your PC for bad sectors and file system mistakes then do the essential steps to correct them. You can gain benefit from doing this at least one time a week.

Everything starts with your Windows Registry getting full with some random stuff, fragmented and filled with blunders.  This happens due to the way, in which it is made .  Everybody can put his things inside.  And, once something is inside Windows Registry, no one truly gives care to cleaning it up when it’s not anymore helpful.  And with time it becomes trash, which just lies around and makes your computer jerkier. 
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This malware uses usual ways of tricking users so you will use it. First, you will notice your computer’s browser has been modified. Then you will get warnings of several security related problems on your computer. Cyber Security will scan your system. It will then claim you should delete all those reported files, since they are infected. But since you are using the free version of this program, you cannot do it right now. It will advise you to buy the full version of Cyber Security. This way your computer will be protected and cleaned from any infections. Also any threats from the internet won’t harm you. This is not true: this program is but fake ! The following guide Cyber Security will help you remove this malware.

If you do purchase the registered version of thise rogue software, you will meet what those hackers have really in mind. Given out your credit card details will but compromise your personal infos. Besides you will find out the full version is inexistent. And finally, you will have to cancel your credit card.

It is very important that you remove this malware from the first moment you realize you have it on the system, since the harm it produces can reach serious stages and you don’t want that to happen. If you find out your browser settings have been hijacked, and you are getting lots of ads from Cyber Security, and that your internet connection is way slower than before than you might realize that your computer is actually infected by this malware.

Winner Loser: Brick and mortar stores

Once consumer trepidation regarding e-tailers wore off, it was really only a matter of time before physical stores with limited stock and pushy salespeople bit the dust. Among the fallen we have Circuit City, CompUSA, and Gateway stores among others. Sure, for sundries, your Wal-Mart and Big K are doing just fine, but they also sell sweaters and apples. Best Buy is doing all right, but they’re really the Alamo of tech retailers. Poor bastards know what’s coming to ‘em, too.

The combination of low prices, reseller markets, the long tail effect, and the rise of internet literacy among the buying class has resulted in a ridiculous among of growth among the biggest e-tailers. And while I doubt we’re going to see a return of the glorious Kozmo.com, things like Amazon Fresh and Trojan horses like the Nook and Kindle suggest that even further dominance is to come.

Runners Up

Motorola Around the time of the iPhone being announced, the RAZR was the hottest handset on the market. It was thin as hell, looked futuristic, and did absolutely nothing different from any other phone. In fact, Motorola hadn’t made a phone that did anything different in years. And as things like Blackberrys and semi-smart phones began gaining traction on the mid-range-handset market, Moto continued to put out “improved” versions of the RAZR, or body modifications like the KRZR or whatever. Never mind that the phone was garbage fundamentally, let’s just keep pushing it! No long term plans necessary! They’ve salvaged themselves somewhat with the Droid, but that can’t last long; the Android market is too mercurial. Moto threw away an enormous lead and brand name, and barring a miracle, I don’t see any way they can get it back.

RIAA/MPAA What can I say here? These stodgy and litigious institutions continue to dig their grave to this day. A renaissance in media distribution was unfolding before their eyes, and instead of taking the bull by the horns, they sued the audience. Can you think of a worse way to handle the last decade of technological and cultural changes? I can’t. At every turn these Associations (and their counterparts throughout the world) have made the exact wrong choices. Suing children, fabricating numbers, instituting ridiculous DRM schemes — it’s been a decade-long disaster, and when the major labels all fall over dead, I’ll dance on their graves.

AOL Let me just say: I appreciate what AOL did. It put a lot of people online. It put them into a weird pseudo-internet, sure, but it broke the ice for millions and familiarized them with the web, e-mail, and A/S/L. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really a lot of room for AOL in the new order of things — AOL or the other big services like it. AOL’s role in the world today is much different than what it was, but instead of becoming a powerful brand in itself (like Yahoo!), it has receded into the background. And the fact is that’s because it represents all that was going to go wrong with the internet: it represents the corporate-controlled, content-locked, closely-monitored internet that the big guys would just love to foist on us.

Our take

Doug: Internet Explorer, both the mobile and desktop versions. At the height of its reign in the middle of the decade, it had over 95% market share. Now that number’s hovering around 65% thanks to Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome and, to a certain extent, Opera (especially on mobile devices). I haven’t personally used Internet Explorer for any significant amount of time in the past three years despite using it for everything in the early part of the decade. It’s mind boggling that Microsoft sat on its hands and watched other browsers eat its lunch for so long.

Matt: As much as Toshiba lost in its investment into HD DVD, the consumer lost even more because of the silly format war. All we ever wanted was an easy way to watch high definition content on our HDTVs. Instead we got the HD DVD vs Blu-ray format war that did nothing but confuse the general public and infuriate early adopters. Although the format war definitely caused more people to look take a serious look at digital downloads, which is somewhat of a win for everyone.

Nicholas: I’d nominate myself as biggest tech loser of the past decade, but that would sorta violate the spirit of this here category. That aside, I might go so far as to say Sirius XM just based on what the two companies (back when they were two companies) were supposed to be: revolutionary radio~! It very much has lost its appeal, as has radio in general thanks to things like the iTunes Store, Spotify, Pandora, and the less-than-legal sources of acquiring music. Talk radio—Hannity, Limbaugh, Opie and Anthony, Ron and Fez, Howard Stern (I guess, not really a fan) and the like—is obviously a different story;XM channel 202 is the only reason I still bother to subscribe. If O&A and R&F were ever to leave so would I. So yeah, the whole idea of commercial, music radio, specifically Sirius XM and how it/they tried to be different but really aren’t, would be a pretty big loser.

Dave: Print media has really taken it in the shorts in the last 10 years. Once considered the first, best, and only way to get your information, people have come to realize that traditional print media is a lumbering dinosaur, trying to keep pace with a fast changing world that they are always 12 hours behind. I do feel sympathy for the old guard, but unless they can learn to evolve quickly, print media will be going out with the baby boomers – because they are the only ones who actually buy newspapers any more.

John: Dead tree books. I just bought a Stephen King book – Under the Dome – for the Kindle. My buddy showed me the actual book. It was a 1000 pages long and so horribly thick that it looked overly daunting. When guys like me, guys who like to read, just don’t want to carry around a ream of paper onto the plane, the publishing industry needs to worry. Maybe they’ll get a boost from Mr. Sparky Pants but as Seth Godin writes:

Amazon and the Kindle have killed the bookstore. Why? Because people who buy 100 or 300 books a year are gone forever. The typical American buys just one book a year for pleasure. Those people are meaningless to a bookstore. It’s the heavy users that matter, and now officially, as 2009 ends, they have abandoned the bookstore. It’s over.

I agree and I think books – in electronic form – still have a long and lucrative life ahead of them.

THE ENEMY – Crackers and Hackers

Geeks make a distinction between crackers, who break into systems to do damage, and hackers who enjoy taking programs apart just to see how they tick. We’ll stick with the more common, though less accurate, term of hacker. (The term ‘hacker’ originally meant ‘someone who makes furniture’ with an axe. Crude, but effective – like most computer viruses.)

Viruses are actually a particular type of computer ‘malware’ – a general term covering all types of malicious software.  The most common types are viruses, worms and Trojan horses.

VIRUSES

A virus is usually hidden inside another program such as an installation program delivered via e-mail attachment. (Biological viruses require a host organism to live and reproduce, hence the name.) When the ‘host’ program is run, the virus program also runs. Once it’s in memory the virus is able to do its dirty work, which usually includes infecting other programs.

After the infection stage of the virus, there’s a destructive stage. The virus waits for a pre-determined trigger (such as a specific date or a certain number of times the virus has replicated itself) before delivering its ‘payload’. Payloads range from simple messages to file deletion commands to destruction of the core operating system.

When first developed, computer viruses were commonly distributed on floppy disks. With the growth of the Internet downloaded files and e-mail are the preferred delivery mechanisms. E-mail can contain attachments which can be any kind of computer file. Any executable file can be infected with a virus, and shouldn’t be run unless you’re confident they’re virus free. 

WORMS

Worms are similar to viruses in that they’re self-replicating. They reproduce themselves across networks without human assistance, such as e-mail sending. A worm, though, doesn’t need another executable program to be distributed.

Worms usually affect networks more than individual computers on the network. Their self-replicating behavior can overload network resources, causing slowdowns in data transmission by consuming massive bandwidth normally used to forward normal traffic. Network systems that route Internet traffic are just specialized computer hardware and software. They, too, can be affected by malware.

Worms can also be designed to carry a payload, using a ‘backdoor’ installation program. A backdoor is a hidden access point to a computer that bypasses the normal login procedure. They’re commonly used by spammers to distribute junk e-mail, for example.

TROJAN HORSES

Trojan horses are the third common type of malware. A ‘trojan’ is a program that pretends to do one thing but actually does something different. (The term comes from the story of the Greeks who built a large wooden horse in which to hide. Their enemies, the Trojans persuaded they’d receive a gift, took the horse inside their compound giving the Greeks easy access to wreak havoc.) Unlike viruses or worms, a Trojan doesn’t replicate itself.

Trojans may be hidden in otherwise useful software. Once started they can do almost anything including erasing data, corrupting files, installing backdoors and logging keystrokes so that hackers can steal information such as credit card numbers and passwords.

FIGHTING MALWARE

Elsewhere in the series, we’ll discuss what is and can be done to combat the spread of malware. In the interim, just remember not to be passive and expect the problem to be solved by others. Fighting viruses requires active participation from vendors, webmasters AND users.

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A computer Trojan horse is similar. It looks like a benign or useful program but actually contains hidden code that can destroy data or install spyware.

A Trojan horse is often referred to as a virus, but unlike a true computer virus doesn’t replicate itself. It’s simply designed to gain access to your system and wreak havoc – like the mythical Greek soldiers.

Many Trojan horses (or simply ‘Trojans’) are spyware, used to monitor your computer activity and send information to a third party without your knowledge or consent.

Spyware can be used to deliver unsolicited pop-up ads, or to log private information such as credit card numbers and passwords, or even reroute your browser to a commercial site. The unscrupulous vendor at that site usually paid the spyware creator to do just that.

Another common use for a Trojan is to install a ‘backdoor’ -  an access point to your computer which bypasses the normal login procedure. Hackers use backdoors to gain control of your computer to send spam or to wreak malicious damage. Since the damage appears to originate from your system it can be hard to combat.

Geeks make a distinction between ‘crackers’ who gain access to a system to do harm, and ‘hackers’ who just want to understand the details of how a system works. We’ll stick with the more common, though less accurate, term.

How Trojans Are Distributed

Trojans are hidden in programs which appear useful. You visit a free utility site, download one and run the program. Your system is infected.

They can also be spread by e-mail attachments. If the attachment contains an executable file, that program can also contain a Trojan which will infect your computer as soon as it is run.

Executable files have extensions such as .exe but sometimes the extensions are hidden to make the file look like a harmless text file. An example of this would be a file named ‘look_at_me.txt.exe.  The user may not notice the ‘.exe’ part of the filename (the extension) and think it’s a text file. Some operating systems allow users to hide extensions, so in this case the user would simply see ‘look_at_me.txt’. 

Newer tactics involve embedding them in certain image files. The lesson is: never open a file from someone unknown, or when its arrival is unexpected. Even well-meaning individuals pass on viruses this way.

It’s common for Trojans to be spread through operating system vulnerabilities. An operating system controls the basic functions of the computer. Computers connect to the Internet through ‘ports’, some of which present Security risks. Malware takes advantage of these vulnerabilities.

One well-known Trojan is called Sub7. Some claim it has legitimate uses (such as remotely controlling your own computer), though it’s often used for illegal activities. Computers with Sub7 installed are accessible from a remote location and can be used to steal credit card numbers by logging keystrokes for example.

Fighting Trojans – The modern way

Most antivirus software will detect and remove Trojans. Keep your virus database up to date to provide the best protection. Some antivirus programs require you to manually scan attachments or other incoming files. Get one that does it automatically. The cost difference is negligible.

Always use caution when opening email attachments, even if they come from a known source. If the attachment is unexpected it should be suspected.

Firewalls should also be used to close vulnerabilities when using the Internet.

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