Introduction to viruses, worms, and Trojans

Viruses, worms, and Trojans are dangerous programs that can destroy your computer and information on your computer, slow down the Internet, and use your computer to spread itself to friends. , your family, colleagues and others on the web. The good news is that with a small amount of blocking and a bit of wisdom you are less likely to fall victim to these dangers. See it as locking your front door to protect your family.

Read on for definitions, ways to find out if you're a victim, and solutions you can use to help make your computer safer.

What is a virus?

A virus is a piece of computer code that attaches itself to a program or file so that it can spread from computer to computer, infecting it when it moves. Viruses can destroy your software, hardware, and files.

Virus Code (n.) Is written with the intention of quickly copying itself. A virus seeks to spread from computer to computer by attaching itself to a host program. It may destroy hardware, software, or information. Compare with Depth.

Just like human viruses classify the severity of Ebola to the 24-hour flu, computer viruses range from mild discomfort to powerful destruction. The good news is that a virus really doesn't spread without human impact translating it, like file sharing or sending an email.

What is worm?

The worm, like a virus, is designed to copy itself from one computer to another, but it does it automatically by taking control of the features in the computer, which counts This feature can transmit files or information. When you have deep in your system it can move on its own. A major danger of worms is that it is capable of replicating in large quantities. For example, a worm may send copies of itself to everyone on your email address book list, and their computer will then do the same, creating a copy. Dragging makes network traffic overload and this slows down business and Internet networks in general. When new worms are released, they spread very quickly, clogging the network and can make you (and others) wait twice as long to view Web sites on the Internet.

Depth (n.) A subclass of virus. Worms often spread without user impact and disperse full copies (which can also be modified) by themselves over the network. The worm may consume network memory or bandwidth, thus making the computer unresponsive. Compare with Viruses.

Because worms do not need to move through a "master" program or a file, they can also drill into your system and allow another person to control your computer remotely. For example, the MyDoom worm has recently been designed to open a "back door" on infected systems and use the system to attack websites.

What is a Trojan?

Just like the Trojan Horse in mythology looks like a gift, but actually contains Greek soldiers, they have taken Troy, Trojans today are computer programs that look like a part. Soft useful, but actually hurt your security and cause a lot of destruction. A recent Trojan is in the form of an email with attachments saying it is Microsoft security updates, but it is actually viruses, which will try to disable anti-software virus and firewall.

Trojan (n.) A computer program that looks useful but actually causes destruction.

Trojans spread when people were drawn to a program because they thought it came from a legitimate source. To better protect users, Microsoft often sends newsletters, but they will never contain attachments. We also publish all of our security warnings on our Privacy section.

Trojans can also be contained in software that you download for free. Never download software from a source you don't trust. Always download Microsoft updates and patches from Microsoft Windows Update or Microsoft Office Update.

How do worms and other viruses spread?

All viruses and many worms are almost impossible to spread unless you open or run an infected program.

Many of the most dangerous viruses are mainly spread through e-mail attachments — files are sent along with an email message. You can often recognize if your email has an attachment because you will see a paper icon that shows the attachment and include its name. Photos, letters written on Microsoft Word, and even Excel spreadsheets are also some types of files that you can receive by email every day. The virus is launched when you open the attachment (usually by double-clicking the attached icon).

Tip : Never open any file attached to an email unless you are waiting for an attachment and you know the exact contents of the file.

If you receive an email with an attachment from someone you don't know, immediately delete it. Unfortunately, you are no longer safe when opening attachments from people you know. Viruses and worms are able to steal information from email programs and send them to everyone in your address book. Therefore, if you receive an email from someone who has a message that you do not understand or a file that you do not wait for, always contact the person and confirm the content of the attachment before you open it.

Other viruses can be spread by programs that you download from the Internet or computer disks containing viruses that you borrow from friends or even buy at a store. These are less common ways to get the virus. Most people who get infected by opening and running attachments with email.

How can I know if I have a worm or another virus?

When you open and run an infected program, you may not know that you are infected. Your computer may slow down, react, or be destroyed and restarted every few minutes. Sometimes a virus will attack the files you need to start the computer. In this case, you can press the power button and see only a white screen.

All of these symptoms are common signs that your computer has a virus - although they can also be caused by hardware and software problems, which are not relevant. What to virus.

Beware of messages saying you sent an email containing a virus. This means that the virus has listed your email address as a virus infected sender. This does not always mean you have a virus. Some viruses have the ability to fake e-mail addresses. You can hear about this problem as "fake."

Unless you have up-to-date antivirus software installed on your computer, there's no sure way to know if you have a virus.

If you do not have an existing antivirus software or you are not interested in installing another company's anti-virus software, read our tips on how to reduce your virus risk.

Next Steps: How to increase the security of your computer

There is no guarantee that your computer security is 100 percent. However, you can continue to enhance your computer's security by regularly updating your software and maintaining your current anti-virus software subscription. To learn more, visit the Security and Virus section.