Get Rid of Trojan Virus Threats, in Order to Secure Your Computer

If third parties have hacked into your computer and you want to get rid of these intruders, then you need an answer to the question of how to get rid of trojan virus threats. In order to get rid of trojan virus threats, you need the right kind of software product.

Trojans are pretty simple to explain. They are a type of malware (also called spyware) that can monitor you and your computer activities. Trojans come in a number of different forms. Some are just annoying, while others are downright dangerous. Some trojans put strange icons on your desktop, and place pop-up ads on your computer. A more serious type of trojan will remove the startup button on Windows. The most serious types of trojans attempt to access information that no one would want to get out. Things like credit and banking information. Trojans are often placed on a user's computer when they download free programs and files. Ironically enough, a lot of programs you can download for free to get rid of trjoans actually contain trojans in them!

Ok, so now that you know exactly what a trojan is, it is time to answer the question of how to get rid of trojan virus threats. You want to use a trojan remover with a large database of all the threats that are out there, that can be updated on a regular basis. In addition, look for products that can be used to fight off future trojan attacks, as well as those with the ability to schedule future trojan scans ahead of time.

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Top Computer Virus Threats in 2008

Computer Virus threats are neither surprising nor new on the Web. They are stepping towards newer technologies such as VoIP and instant messengers. With advancement in the features available on the Internet, hackers continue to drive malware. This underlines an importance of being aware and secure when traversing the Web. Antivirus Installation is must in each and every computer attached to Internet.

Predictions for top security threats in 2008 are:

o Increase in Password Staling Websites: There will certainly be a rise in the number of attacks seeking to capture a user's ID and password by displaying fake sign-in pages. Online services will primarily be targeted to spread virus and malware. As opposed to this, the attacks on ISPs are likely to decline, while those aimed at the financial sector will move with the same pace.

o Increase in Spamming: Spamming will continue to grow, accounting for 40 per cent of the total spam received as compared to 10 per cent a year ago. There has been a significant rise in the incidence of image spam and others such as pump-and-dump stocks, pharmacy, and degree spam.

o Increase in IM Attacks: Instant messaging client is gaining wide popularity among Internet-savvy. They are always in search of better messengers to communicate on the web. Since instant messengers feature a number of exclusive features such as file transfer & webcam support, the virus attacks on these applications may increase in near future.

o Increase in Online Gaming Attacks: Online gaming is both the source of entertainment and money for several companies which allow their registered members to buy virtual goods to continue the game. The computer virus attackers may try to target these virtual goods to make real money.

o Increase in Windows Vista Attacks: The attackers and hackers generally seek to take advantage of flaws present in the operating systems. Since Windows Vista, the latest version of Microsoft Windows is believed to be affected by critical vulnerabilities, the hackers may try to inject virus into the affected systems.

o Increase in Phishing Attacks: Phishing attacks are expected to be one of the top 10 threats in 2008. With growth in number of incidence of using copies of original websites to trick the users to get their sensitive data, the phishing attacks can increase.

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Fix a Detected Computer Threat by Antivirus

A computer has to deal with lots of different worries on a daily basis while performing at a high level of service. It's our tool to get work done, pay bills with, and stay in contact with loved ones around the world. We need it to be at the top of its game, otherwise we're left in limbo and feel lost without its capabilities. This is why computer virus threats can be a nightmare if you don't have the protection set up to handle the newly created bugs from entering your computer and reproducing in its files.


Instructions

1: Open your system's antivirus software program by double-clicking on its program icon. If you don't have an antivirus program or you're unsure where it is located on your computer, free antivirus options are available on the Internet. A link to one of these is included in the Resources. Download and install an antivirus program if you don't have one already.

2: Click on the button that says "Scan for viruses" or something similar. Choose to scan all drives. Click on "scan".

3: Realize your antivirus program will display the threats it has detected. Select all threats and choose the option to quarantine them. Do not delete them, because this may cause the loss of files that are critical for your operating system to run.

4: Run a spyware detection program using the same procedure you followed in Steps 1 to 3. If you don't have spyware protection, free options are available for download on the Internet. You can find a popular choice in the Resources section below. Eliminate any spyware threats your software finds by following the instructions provided by the software.

5: Visit Symantec's Virus Search database (see Resources). You can search by threat name, the name of the file that is giving you problems or type of threat. Symantec often provides step-by-step instructions for the manual removal of the specific threat with which you're dealing.

How to Determine a virus Threat ?

One of the most difficult things to detect on a computer is a virus threat or attack, because these come in so many different forms. You should always keep your anti-virus up to date and make sure that it is working. Besides an anti-virus, you should also have some type of spy-ware program installed. If you have both of these, then you never really have to panic over a virus attack, but you always want to be aware of strange computer behavior, emails and strange pop-up windows.

Instructions

Look for strange emails or strange computer behavior like error messages, computer shutdown or freezing right after you open an email from someone you don't know. Immediately run your antiviral program, as the email may have infected your computer with a virus.

Check to see if your anti-viral software is up to date and turned on. Look on the lower right-hand corner of the bottom Windows toolbar for your anti-virus icon. Move your cursor over all the icons, and the names will appear. If your anti-virus name does not appear, then you may not have an anti-virus or a threat may have disabled the virus. Go to "Start" and "All Programs" and locate your anti-virus. Click on the icon twice to open it and scan your C: drive to see if your computer has been infected. However, just because your anti-virus cannot detect a virus does not mean you don't have one. Update your anti-virus and run it again, or run an online anti-virus scan from Trend Micro, Freebyte or Avast (See Resources).


Check your Explorer toolbar to see if additional icons have been added, or if your home Web page has changed automatically. Notice the amount of advertisements or pop-up windows you are getting. If advertising websites show up for no apparent reason, without your even clicking on anything, then you have been infected by mal-ware. These are signs of mal-ware threats. Download a spy-ware program like Ad-ware BOT, No AdWare or Error Scan and Fix (See Resources).


Remain on guard for strange security messages from software companies you have not bought products from. Be aware of security messages warning you of fake viruses. These are balloon-like messages that tell you your computer is infected, and that you must purchase a certain program to remove it. These are threats that masquerade as Microsoft messages. Remember, if your anti-virus is on, and up to date, then it should catch a real virus. Close the fake virus window and surf on other windows. Look for other Windows error messages, blue screens or freezing as indications of real virus threats.


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How to Prevent a Computer Virus and Protect Your Email ?

Viruses and other malicious PC threats can easily infect our computer systems. Basing on my personal experience and study from the Internet, I would like to share some tips about how to prevent computer virus and safeguard your email.

How to Protect your Computer from Viruses?

Never open the attachment from the unknown email or unexpected email, even if the attachment seems to be a.jpg image file. This is because Windows allow users add multiple suffixes on the file name, while many email applications usually display the first suffix only. For example, if you see an attachment named wow.jpg, its full name actually is wow.jpg.vbs. Therefore, to open this attachment will result in the running of a malicious VBScript virus.

Before you insert a floppy disk, CD-ROMs and other removable media, make sure they have been scanned for viruses. And, make sure your computer can automatically check for viruses when the removable media inserts or emails and network file are received.

Guard against fraudulent virus. If you receive an email from your friend which claims that there is a most lethal new virus and requests you to forward this warning email to all your friends. This may be a fraudulent virus actually. You are suggested to turn to the antivirus software vendors, such as Symantec's website, to confirm the claim.

Use other forms of documents, such as.rtf (Rich Text Format) and.pdf (Portable Document Format). Common macro viruses spread through Microsoft Office programs. Therefore, the less use of these files types will lower the risk of being infected by viruses. Try to use Rich Text to save your files. This does not mean that simply use.rtf suffix in the file name, but that in Microsoft Word use "Save as" command, and in the dialog box select Rich Text format to save the file. Although Rich Text Format may contain embedded objects, it itself does not support Visual Basic Macros or Jscript. The pdf file is not only a kind of format available in many platforms, but also more secure.

Use the client-based firewall or filtration solution. If you are using the Internet, particularly the broadband, and you are always online, then it is very necessary to use a personal firewall to protect your privacy and to prevent the unexpected visitors to access your system. If your system does not have an additional effective protection, your home address, credit card number and other personal information could be stolen.

If there are share files set with full access by users in the local area network, viruses may very easily come in. This also brings the frequent access of the infected computer to the share files, and results in network congestion.

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How to Check Virus Email Threats ?

One of the downsides of the computer age is having to worry about hackers who are trying to infect your computer with viruses sent via email. While opening a suspicious-looking email may not trigger the virus, the safest course of action is not to open it at all. If it's too late and you've already opened it, don't click on any of the links associated with it or open any of its attachments. There are several online resources where you can check virus email threats

Instructions

Open your Internet connection, and log on to Snopes.com.

On the Snopes.com homepage, click on the "Computers" icon.

Select the "Virus Hoaxes and Realities" link.

A list of Virus Hoaxes and Realities will appear. If you see the one you're wondering about, select it. If it is not listed, type it into the search box at the top of the page.

Snopes will give you the following information: the name of the virus; whether it is real or a hoax, an example of how it might look in your email inbox; what any legitimate emails on the same topic look like; the history of the virus, any additional information; and the date of the information's last update.

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Choosing right Antivirus Software Against The Ongoing Virus Threat

Your computer is indispensable in that it stores all your precious data and information, so just imagine your frustration at losing them if a virus infects your computer. Computer viruses can easily enter your computer via the internet and infect the programs and files on your computer, causing valuable data to be lost forever. If you do not want to face this nasty dilemma, it is crucial that you protect your computer, programs and data with good anti-virus software.

Antivirus software scans your computer to search for any computer virus, old and new. If it finds any virus, the antivirus software eliminates it from your system. Some antivirus software also has the capability of adding antivirus updates and fixes to your computer system that helps protect your computer from newer versions of viruses as well as from spreading them to other computers.

There is a wide range of sophisticated antivirus software available these days. However, the effectiveness of any antivirus software is measured by its ability to detect the ever-changing virus threats. Even as antivirus software improves, computer viruses are becoming even more virulent, with new sets of viruses released every other day. Your current antivirus software that sits on your computer often fails to recognize these new sets of viruses, so it is extremely important to keep your anti-virus software constantly updated to include protection against new lists of virus threats.

When the antivirus software detects a virus-infected file, the software can either repair the file, or remove it to prevent the viral code from spreading to other files in the system. Once a new virus is detected, the codes are sent to virus analysis centers. These centers then conduct a thorough analysis of the virus, and work out a string of programs to identify and protect against this newly discovered virus. The fix is then added into a database from where the users can download the updated version of the antivirus program.

Most of the advanced antivirus software follow four main methods of virus detection. These methods include: scanning, integrity checking, interception, and heuristic detection. Scanning and interception are the most commonly used methods for most of the popular anti-virus software. The other two procedures are used by some lesser- known antivirus packages. However, the scanning process used by major antivirus programs can only be effective when the virus is recognizable to the software. Scanning, however, is not an effective solution for dealing with new viruses. Thus the role of antivirus analysis centers becomes extremely important and significant in the ongoing fight against new virus threats.

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