Computer Tech Links: Malware

Showing posts with label Malware. Show all posts

Jun 9, 2009

How To Keep Your Computer Safe From Harmful Viruses and Trojans

Most of us are blissfully unaware of the extent of damage that malware can cause until we actually face its wrath, and many times it is too late by then to do anything. A malware assault may result in data loss, identity theft, and system crashes causing substantial loss of money as well as time. Sometimes the damage caused by malicious software can be irreparable.

The epidemic is growing so fast that every year users are facing losses amounting to billions of dollars. The fight against this malware menace is to be fought at two ends. On one end, software manufacturers are working around the clock to make their applications more robust and plugging the possible security loopholes. On the other end, users are on their own in this fight and have to take the responsibility of dealing with malware and related errors.

The goal of this article is to help you understand the causes and identify the solutions to malware errors. It is important to take note that user vigilance is going to be critical while combating this problem. Please follow the list of Do’s and Don’ts below, which will help keep computer virus and Trojans away:

You must have a reliable anti-virus utility installed on your computer and use it to perform a complete scan of your system on a regular basis. You must also keep your anti-virus updated so that it is able to fight new viruses that are released almost daily. This is a very important task that users tend to shrug off once they have installed anti-virus software. Also, if you find suspicious files, such as d.exe running on your computer, you must immediately perform a full system scan. You must also scan your PC if you feel that something is wrong with legitimate Windows files, such as wscntfy.exe that belongs to the Windows Security Center.
Do not browse or download anything from sites that look dubious. You should also be careful of sites that offer freeware and shareware software. You should absolutely avoid the sites that offer keys and cracks and claim to enable you to install pirated software. Anything that is free from an unknown source should raise eyebrows and should be kept at arms length.
You should always perform a thorough scan of any CD or disk before copying any files or information from it. Often, we assume that CDs from known sources are free from any malicious software but you never know.
Do not open email attachments from sources that you do not know. Even if you know the sender, avoid opening files with dubious names and extensions as they may contain viruses and other malware. It could be a possibility that an email from a known source has been generated by a virus.
You must ensure that all software on your computer is updated frequently. This will make sure that your software such as operating system and applications are updated with the latest patches and security holes that are frequently misused by the viruses to enter your system.
In addition to anti-virus software, you must make use of a good registry cleaner to scan and repair entries that are corrupted by malware. Cleaning the registry with a good registry tool helps you ensure complete malware removal from your computer.

Apr 21, 2009

Troubleshooting Windows PC Errors

A large number of computer owners are amateur users who are not so technically inclined and have little idea of how to solve computer errors on their own. In offices, you may have an IT person who takes care of such problems or the job may be outsourced to an external IT company. However, a home or a small business Windows PC user does not have such a luxury and is mostly dependent on a knowledgeable friend whenever computer errors occur. Sometimes, after a few futile attempts to troubleshoot the error, a home PC user is forced to make the decision to seek help from a computer technician. Image of Virus Detection by woodsy at SXC.

However, with the amount of information that can be found on the internet today, such as discussion forums and online help sites, computer users have somewhere else to turn to solve their PC issues. With a little research, the common computer user may be able to resolve PC errors themselves.

So, as soon as you receive an error message, such as aacenter.exe has stopped working or you find that processes, such as consent.exe and tscd_win32.exe are slowing down your PC, try to search for a solution over the Internet. Most of the time, you are not the first one to receive that particular error message. So, it is quite likely that if you perform a search by using the error message displayed or with the name of the file or process that is generating the error, you will find a solution to it online. Once you find a solution, you must implement it to resolve your error.

You may also perform the steps below to ensure that no other issue is behind the error:

Update your antivirus and antispyware tools and perform a full system scan to detect and remove any malware infections. For better protection, you must use the latest versions of these tools, and try to opt for tools with real-time protection to ensure security for your PC at all times.
Next, use a good registry tool to scan and clean your registry.
Update your software and drivers, especially the software that generated the error.
If you recently installed a new software, uninstall it to see if the error goes away.
Use a reliable PC diagnostics utility to run a check on your hardware—if you find a faulty hardware, you may need to get this component replaced or repaired.
If you frequently download and install programs from the Internet then you must be sure of the following:

Download only from reliable sources, especially if you are downloading freeware and shareware programs—many of these programs are known to be bundled with spyware and adware.
Download over a fast Internet connection because a slow connection may interfere with the download and generate errors when you attempt to use the downloaded files.

Be very careful while opening email attachments. Open only those attachments about which you are sure- even if they come from known sources.

PC errors may occur due to a number of reasons. To prevent them, you as a user are required to be vigilant and perform regular maintenance.

Apr 15, 2009

How To Avoid Malware And Keep Your PC Error Free

Malware is the term used to describe all unwanted malicious software and files, such as aspimgr.exe, ipssvc.exe, and d.exe that may infiltrate your computer and cause various problems. The two main categories of malware are virus and spyware. Trojan horses, worms and back doors are variants of viruses. Spyware and adware programs belong to the second category. Viruses usually spread through open network shares, infected external media, infected emails attachments, and dubious web sites. While spyware and adware usually come packaged with other programs and stealthily install on your PC without your knowledge or consent. Image of virus/malware entry from ines at SXC.

There are some great antivirus and antispyware tools available today that you can use to remove malware programs from your computer. However, the real trick is to prevent these infections from occurring in the first place.

The following are a few simple tips that will help you achieve this goal to a large extent.

Tip # 1: Your first step to prevent unauthorized access to your PC is to implement a firewall. A good firewall helps you combat both viruses and hackers. Most home computer users get enough security by enabling the Windows Firewall. However, if you have more sensitive data stored on your PC, it is recommended that you use a more robust third-party firewall to provide you with better protection.

Tip # 2: You must not use file sharing applications such as Limewire. If you have any file sharing program on your PC, then there is a 99.9% chance that your PC will get infected with a malware. This is because there is no way in which you can determine the integrity and health of the content from the source you are downloading.

Tip # 3: Stop before opening any email attachments, unless you are sure about what it contains—even if it is from a known email address. Many virus programs, send infected attachments to email IDs in the Address Book of the infected computer. This is the reason why, even if your email is from a known source, it might contain infected email attachments. You may use a good anti spam software to scan both outgoing and incoming emails to your computer.

Tip # 4: Many times when you access a Web page, a pop-up display may appear carrying some type of advertisement. You must never click inside this pop-up box to close—not even the ‘close’ and ‘cancel’ buttons if they are within the box. Doing this may have adverse affects on your PC. To close this pop-up box safely, you must click the ‘X’ button given in the top-right corner of the dialog box.

Tip # 5: While working on your PC, you may receive a message informing you that your PC is infected with a malware, and that you must download a particular software and run a scan to remove the virus. You must never download this recommended software because they are most commonly rogue software that may cause further harm to your PC.

Tip # 6: You must avoid downloading free media and software because they are usually bundled with unwanted malware programs. Also, if you have to download something, then do so from a trusted website.

Tip # 7: Lastly, make sure to use a good registry cleaner tool to scan and clean your registry on a regular basis. This will help you remove any malware entries hiding deep within the registry tree and ensure complete virus removal from your system.