Viruses and Malware

Viruses are included in the greater category of malware. Malware, derived from the words "malicious" and "software", can infect home and business computers unknowingly when you surf the Internet or share files. Difficult to find and hard to remove, malware can steal confidential information resulting in identity theft and credit card fraud. ParetoLogic Anti-Virus PLUS makes use of a malware definition database that includes a wide array of malicious threats.

Types of malware and symptoms include the following:

• Viruses - spreads from computer to computer and are capable of self-replication.
• Worms - utilizes system memory. Unlike a virus they cannot attach to other programs as they need to proliferate via a host.
• Trojans - a severe security threat; often used in conjunction with other malicious software. Like the story of the Trojan horse, these items appear harmless, until they are downloaded. Once resident on the system they automatically open in the background, install other items, and can open a backdoor for remote access and other security breaches.
• Rootkits - a severe risk to computer system security. They are considered the most sophisticated and most difficult to remove.
• Adware - display advertisements intrusively.
• Spyware - a general term used to describe malware. Typically it involves partial or full loss of control of computer functioning.
• Flooder / Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) - disables network connections; these items send massive amounts of data to disrupt or bring down a network or Internet connection.
• Keyloggers - records your personal data.
• Browser hijacker - changes your web browser settings.
• Remote Administrator Tool (RAT) - takes control of and influences or controls your computer remotely.
• Dialers - makes automatic unauthorized calls via the phone modem.
• Data Miner / Trackware - tracks your Internet activity and can send this information remotely.
• Downloaders - breaches system security and makes attempts to download and install malware files on your computer.

Other malware characteristics include:

• Shutdown or disable - disables programs or processes.
• Security flaw exploits - takes advantage of system or network flaws for remote access.
• Threat proliferation - spreads quickly and easily from computer to computer.
• Uninstallation - makes uninstalling and removing the item difficult.
• Privacy and consent - fails to properly disclose potential privacy risks.

Along with fraudulent, unethical, and illegal activities, there are other common effects that are a result of malware activities. These include reoccurring system errors and program failure. In many cases, malware software hogs system resources and monopolizes processing time. Results can include poor computer performance, system non-responsiveness, unexpected behavior, and program termination.

You can find additional information online here: http://www.ParetoLogic.com/resources/characteristics.aspx

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