Actually, our friends are like so many other people who use their computers primarily for communicating with family and their friends by email, sharing personal pictures, playing a few games, doing a little research now and then, making airline and hotel reservations, and maybe even balancing their check books.
Surfing the internet for them was just a sometime thing, not necessarily a must-do daily routine.
They were aware of computer viruses and had even heard of firewalls. Occasionally, public comments on TV and in newspapers about wide sweeping virus attacks with odd names like ‘MyDoom’, ‘Sasser’, and ‘Bagel’ caught their attention.
After those reported epidemics were no longer news items, they simply put them out of mind, and resumed use of the internet.
When they purchased their computer a few years ago, it came with virus scanning software but not a Firewall program. So, they believed ‘they were protected’!
The general public didn’t really care about Trojan Horse dangers then, because no one was really making an effort to inform them of the insidious efforts of Hackers, spammers, and malcontents who were flooding the internet with their poison.
Even today, there are computer users who believe that they don’t need a firewall. They aren’t aware that Firewalls help stop some of the viruses and worms that are hidden in email attachments and other downloaded information.
They aren’t aware of the new strains and variants of worms, adware and other spyware programs that crop up nearly daily, or that there are over 70,000 identified computer viruses.
They aren’t aware because for the past few years, their chances of actually being infected by a computer virus were very small, and spyware and adware weren't even discussed in the general news media.
Not so any longer!
Some authoritive researchers have determined that the internet is so dangerous today, that an unprotected computer connected to the internet is likely to become infected within 20 minutes of going on line.
A protected computer today MUST HAVE an up-to-date Firewall program, up-to-date virus scanning software, up dated Spyware scanning software programs, and the latest updates from the manufacturers of their web browsers (MicroSoft’s Internet Explorer in particular).
Unfortunately for our friends, they were not aware that their anti-virus program needed to be brought up to date on a regular basis. A few years ago, maybe a monthly update would have saved them from their virus grief.
(Actually, they had never updated their anti-virus program at all).
The safest way today is to use anti-virus and anti-spyware software that can be programmed to download updates automatically from the Software providers themselves.
Also true for Firewall program updates.
Today’s major scourge, however, seems to be the rampant spread of spyware (keyloggers, adware, malicious software known as ‘malware’, all designed to be invisible, often self propagating).
Spyware seeks information about you and your computer-use habits that are private and personal. It is a threat that can often lead to loss of a person’s identity, bank accounts, reputation and employment.
There are major efforts on an international basis to stop the spread of SPAM (unwanted email), that has been responsible for much of the virus epidemic.
Viruses are spread in other ways, too. Downloaded music files, downloaded programs and information gained from Chat Room visits, hidden worms that activate just by clicking on links in some unsolicited emails and pop-ups, are just a few.
There are other protective tools available at no cost (FREE) from many of the software manufacturers of Firewalls, anti-virus and spyware searching programs. Many are included with the email services provided by AOL, Earthlink, MSN, etc.
These are primarily Pop-up blockers and virus scanners. The ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) also scan for and filter out email messages that look suspicious before being passed on to you.
Pop-up blockers, spam filters, message blockers, and other protective defenses can be installed on everyone’s personal computer. They are often free, or relatively inexpensive.
Our friends now know a lot more about protecting themselves from all of the dangers lurking in the Cyber-Jungle.
To clean out their infected computer, which required a clean wipe of their hard drive, re-installation of their Operating System, and an updated anti-virus program, they were charged $180.00!
Needless to say, they have increased their defenses with updated virus-scanning software, Firewall, and spyware scanners and cleaners.
They learned a lesson the hard way, and they’ll help their friends avoid the problems they experienced by sharing their story and encouraging them to get their computers up to date and prepared for the ever increasing threats by the spammers, hackers and virus writers.
If you use the internet regularly, a subscription to one of the security oriented newsletters can alert you to the latest threats and provide helpful information for maintaining a secure, virus free computer and avoiding potential identity theft.
The “Security Alert News Reporter" published through the Firewalls and Virus Protection website is free, it’s distributed about once each month and is written in an easy to understand, non-technical style.
A few minutes browsing there now might save you many hours of agony and grief later.
(You can take part in the Computer Security Awareness Campaign by Sharing this with a friend.)
Some viruses can be harmless but annoying when they send silly messages or when they crash your computer system. But there are many viruses that can do great harm such as deleting the files that you need to run certain programs or to perform OS tasks. And some viruses pave the way for future attacks by opening up your computer and administrative functions.
Fighting viruses is simple: you need to install software that is called "antivirus" software. You'll need to keep this software up to date and always running on your computer. As well, never open up email attachments from sources you don't know.
Still, the odds are that one day your computer system will become virus infected. You'll lose crucial data and programs. Files on your operating system will become zapped. So now what do you do?
The first thing to remember is not to panic. You might not even have a virus. Before you find a cure you need to find out if you have a virus and just what virus it is.
If your computer is still functioning, and you can access the Internet, you'll need to look for known and current viruses. Do a manual scan on your system and look for infected files and virus programs in your computer file system. Remember to search the computer memory as well since viruses can hide there.
Take the time to test several operating functions and programs. Something can go wrong with just one component. This method isn't fool proof but the virus might just have attacked certain functions and programs.
If your computer isn't functioning you'll have to reboot with the use of an antivirus CD or disk. Did you prepare a boot disk? If not you need to go back to step 0 - before the attack - and do the following: (1) create an antivirus CD and disk to boot your computer, (2) make copies of any software you have on your computer or organize the original versions, and (3) backup all your important files and data.
Scan your computer system once you've rebooted using the CD or disk. Search for the infected files or virus. If you find that you really have a virus infection then you're on to the next phase.
If you're using Windows there is a boot option that you can use called "Last Known Good Configuration". This option usually doesn't help but you may be lucky. Once you reboot your computer again you won't be able to use this option.
If you're using Windows you can check the dates of some of your main operating system files if they exist. The list is too long to mention here. Look at Microsoft's website for something called "Operating System Files". Or you can make a list on your own by using the WINNT directory and System32 subdirectory that can be found on a different computer. The dates need to match the other files so that you get the same service pack level.
You need to particularly check the lsass.exe and kernel32.exe. This is because hackers like to mess with them. You might find Microsoft updates but they usually are available in bunches. Anyone that has a different date should be under suspicion. No one ever said that this would be easy. To some degree Windows has some self protection functions and the ability to self-heal but this is nowhere near ideal. You need to replace damaged files with new ones.
If you're a Windows user you may have a Registry that has been corrupted. There are some tools that you can use to fix this. Do an Internet search on "Windows Registry repair utilities" for results. Then choose a utility for your Windows version. There will be no recommendation mentioned here since in six months it will out of date. Internet forums can be useful for finding opinions on updating versions.
If the virus has infected a program - such as software for word processing, the browser, or your email - you can uninstall the program and reinstall it. This can be annoying but is easy to do. Most programs will avoid deleting any data files that you have created by prompting you first.
The worst thing that can happen is that you lose data that you haven't backed up. There are some Data Recovery services that you can hire to try to get this data back again. These services can cost a lot but your data might be worth the cost. You might be able to get some of your data back even if it seems gone forever.
Best of luck with viruses...since we've all had one at one time or another.
Both Richard Rossbauer & Paul Wilcox are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Richard Rossbauer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet. Richard started his "Firewalls and Virus Protection" website and "Security Alert News Reporter" to help everyday internet users safely navigate through the cyber space that has become a ‘Cyber Jungle’, loaded with ambushes and booby-traps. He promotes his. Richard Rossbauer's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
Paul Wilcox has sinced written about articles on various topics from Anger Control, Information Technology and Finances. Do you know identity theft can happen over the internet? If you're not running the right kind of , your private information can be stolen. Find out how. Paul Wilcox's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.