Top Antivirus News

FREE license key for Avast 5 Antivirus

2010-11-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

Avast 5 Antivirus is fully functional for 30 days and after that it requires a serial key in order to continue using it.

The license key can be obtained by simply registering with Avast over at this page. Fill up all the information required and submit. You should get 1 year free license key in your inbox almost instantly. Bear in mind, the license code only works for Avast Free Antivirus (home user).

Top threats

2010-11-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Invest in Antivirus Software for Safer Surfing

2010-09-29T01:17:00.000-07:00

Advertising feature. The Internet is a tool that has changed our lives and, without doubt, the way that most of us communicate. Unfortunately, it has also greatly facilitated the spread of computer viruses. But is there any way to combat this threat? Investing in antivirus software may be the answer.

A virus is a malicious computer program which can cause absolute chaos to whole networks of computers at the same time. The effect of a virus differs depending on its intent: whether it was created to modify, delete or steal data or to cause real destruction to a hard drive.

Other more sophisticated viruses are designed to allow their creators control over your PC. This enables them to hack into your computer and access your information.

The term computer virus was coined because the viruses share some traits with biological viruses. A computer virus passes from one computer to another, for example, in much the same way as a biological virus passes from person to person.

A computer virus must ‘piggyback’ on top of another program or document in order to attach itself. Once it is running, it can then infect other programs or documents. Viruses can be opened in emails, attack through downloaded files or simply appear when you access a website.

Virus creators always have tricks up their sleeves so that users will open their files. With viruses like Trojan horses, for example, they hide them within a harmless-looking file such as a picture of a celebrity. This makes it easier for the malicious software to be installed onto a computer.

There are many different types of viruses being created all the time. The Worm is a particularly nasty type, because it can replicate and spread itself over an entire network. They can also sit on your machine for months or even years before being triggered at a certain date or time to wreak havoc. Worms are becoming increasingly common and are among the biggest troublemakers on the Internet.

After reading this, you will probably never want to turn on your computer again, let alone open any files or emails! As more and more of these viruses are changing and becoming more advanced, the need for protection has become that much greater.

But don’t despair, as there are many reliable versions of antivirus software out there which you can download to maximise the security of your PC. Even better, there are many different versions of free antivirus software that you can download to protect your computer against malicious threats without incurring any cost.

There is also good news for Apple Mac users, as they have slightly less to worry about; in terms of viruses, there aren’t so many floating around which target Macs. That isn’t to say that things won’t change, however. Recent reports have seen more and more cyber criminals turning to the Mac platform as more people begin using it than ever before.

As this trend is likely to continue, it is recommended that you invest in some Mac antivirus software to protect against the threat. Antivirus software for Mac is in limited supply, but there is still plenty to choose from.

Mobile phone-based viruses are also new. Many antivirus software developers are addressing this threat with new mobile antivirus products that can run on your mobile.

Depending on how much money you spend on PC antivirus software, you will get various extras that offer additional protection. Whichever method of antivirus software you choose to invest in, however, they will all still work on the same basic principles.

Antivirus software is designed to keep your PC free from the malicious computer viruses and worms mentioned already. This is done by scanning your PC’s files for known viruses; if one of these is detected, then the software will inform you of the situation before taking steps to remove the threat.

Good antivirus software will also automatically check any files being transferred to and from your computer, and at a minimum should scan all attachments on incoming emails (even if this option has been disabled).

There is one thing that you must remember about PC virus protection: hackers are developing new bugs all the time, so it is important to regularly update your antivirus software. If you don’t download the new versions, you won’t be protected against the latest dangers.

Most antivirus companies release weekly updates of their databases to help keep you safe. Your antivirus software uses these weekly updates, also known as virus signatures or definitions file, to identify newly discovered viruses.

If you scan your computer with a definitions file which is out of date, the software may not detect a problem lurking in the background. A good way of making sure nothing slips through the net is to set up an ‘on-demand’ scan. This will see your virus scanner checking through all your files on your hard drive once a week with all of the latest updates. You can’t be too careful with these crafty viruses!

It is also important to get your virus protection from a reputable company; where would get your updates from if the company went bankrupt in six months time?

Having antivirus software installed on your computer may not keep you 100 per cent protected against every virus attack, but it will certainly protect you a lot better than if you didn’t have it at all. You can enhance your protection even further by having multiple antivirus software products and by always remaining vigilant online.

As well as having antivirus software installed on your computer, you can also take steps to protect your PC against attack. This can be as simple as being on guard when opening unknown email attachments, only downloading software from known websites and keeping your logins different for lots of sites. Taking these precautions will help to keep your computer protected against malicious threats and viruses.

So long as computer viruses change and evolve as rapidly as they do, there will never be a program that will be able to cure everything, but you can certainly still go a long way to keeping yourself safe.

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk

Life is beautiful Virus

2010-08-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

"If you change a filename extension,the file may become unusable"

2010-07-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

Trouble:

“If you change a filename extension,the file may become unusable. Are you sure you want to change it?”

Warning can be seen in snapshot below.

The simplest way to fix such issue is to make the file extensions hidden. When you do that, windows will take care that the file extensions are not changed while renaming the file. To make the file extensions hidden, follow the below steps:

1. Open My Computer, go to Tools > Folder Options > View

2. Check the option “Hide extensions for know file types”.

3. Click Apply and OK.As seen in image below.

Method 2 :

Always provide the extension to the file explicitly as it was previously. For example if you want to rename a zip file from old name file1 to new name file2, make sure you rename the file from file1.zip to file2.zip. This means you have to type the extension manually.

We hope this helps to understand why the warning got flashed

Source: http://www.troublefixers.com

LastPass Password Manager 1.68.2

2010-06-24T00:41:00.001-07:00

LastPass is a free online password manager and Form Filler that makes your web browsing easier and more secure. LastPass supports IE and Firefox as Plugins (Opera, Safari, Chrome, iPhone, Opera Mini via Bookmarklets), allows you to import from every major password storage vendor and export too, captures passwords that other managers won't including many AJAX forms, and allows you to make strong passwords easily. Your sensitive data is encrypted _locally_ before upload so even LastPass cannot get access to it. One Time Passwords & Screen Keyboard help protect your master password.

More about this add-on

LastPass is the last password you will ever need. It allows you to:

- Create strong passwords, knowing you only have to remember one.
- Automatically fill out forms to save you time
- Log into your favorite sites with a single click
- Access and manage your data from multiple computers seamlessly
- Share logins with friends and let others share logins with you
- Use One Time Passwords, and a Screen Keyboard to help keep you safe while on the road.
- Supports IE as well, so if you switch browsers you're always in sync, as well as when you switch computers
- Supports Opera, Google Chrome, Safari, iPhone, Opera Mini, via Bookmarklets
- Supports importing passwords from other password managers such as Roboform, Keepass, PasswordSafe, MyPasswordSafe, Sxipper, TurboPasswords, PassPack, Firefox and IE's built in password manager
- Exporting your data always available in plugin and the website, even back to Firefox.
- In windows, helps you recover lost passwords stored on your computer
- Capture passwords that other password managers will not capture like those done in AJAX logins, and multi-step logins like Bank Of America, and frustrating sites like ING bank using the 'Save All Entered Data' feature.
- Make moving to a new computer or using multiple computers much easier
- Works with any platform that has Firefox
- Mobile access at http://m.lastpass.com

Your sensitive data is encrypted locally with AES, then uploaded to allow syncing with other computers or browsers (IE is also supported), and every browser is supported in the 'web access' mode at LastPass.com

Image Gallery

Source: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8542/

Purchase of Antivirus Softwares

2010-05-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Why Buy Antivirus Software?

Today, an unprotected computer isn’t just vulnerable, it’s probably already infected. New viruses, spyware, trojans, worms, and other malware are created every day. New threats are disguised to bypass other security measures, and specifically designed to catch you and your PC off guard.

The virus landscape has also changed; viruses that used to be annoying pranks have evolved into pernicious threats capable of not only destroying your computer, but stealing your information and identity.

The benefits of installing a basic security solution on your PC are obvious, but the cost in system slowdown used to make it tough to bear. Luckily, modern antivirus software haven’t just improved their level of protection, they’ve significantly improved resource efficiency and overall speed. You can have ultimate protection without giving up your resources. With advanced technologies and straightforward usability, antivirus software is more effective than ever, and doesn’t require constant maintenance from you. Say goodbye to annoying security warnings and noticeable slowdown; current antivirus programs deliver constant protection and can actually speed up your computer.

The last generation of antivirus software brought advanced heuristic detection into the mix. Continuing to improve, the 2010 lineup of antivirus products often incorporate further developed proactive protection with better behavior checking and even file reputation analysis. Several of the software incorporate ‘in the cloud’ security and other advanced technologies to increase safety and convenience. From gamer modes, to battery saving settings, to integrated web link scanners; antivirus applications are more versatile and have upped the ante for features and functionality.

On this site you’ll find a side-by-side comparison of the best antivirus software, helpful articles, security tips and tricks, buying guides, videos, and comprehensive reviews to help you make an informed decision on which security software is right for you.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

What to Look For in Antivirus Software

All security software is not created equal. Like all consumer products, antivirus software has the good, the bad, and the mediocre. The choices for antivirus protection are many and varied. Although we haven’t reviewed each and every product available, we feature the absolute best antivirus software available today from a number of providers (including big-hitters, lesser-knowns, and new-comers), and compare them so you can match your needs with the right software.

Remember when it really comes down to it, effectiveness and usability can either make or break antivirus software. Security programs are only as good as their level of protection, and if you can’t figure out how to use it, you won’t. Our top-ranked antivirus software combine optimal security with user-friendly features and tools.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS uses to evaluate and compare antivirus software:

Scope of Protection
While most security solutions tout “multi-layered” protection, “360 degree” defense and/or even “100%” security, some are certainly more thorough than others. The best antivirus solutions will include traditional protection from viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware, but should also include defense from keyloggers, phishing scams, email-borne threats and rootkits. While antivirus programs are by no means full-blown internet security suites, they should protect from as many threats on as many fronts as they can.

Effectiveness
Antivirus is specifically designed to protect your computer, so if it doesn’t do that well, what good is it? All the features, bells and whistles, or sleek interface can’t make up for poor performance. We look at results from the industry-standard security software testers and professional security organizations to find the most effective software available and evaluate overall effectiveness. In general, our highest ranked programs are also the most effective.

Ease of Installation and Setup
Security software shouldn’t be a chore to install, and should have you protected as soon as possible. From download to install, to the first scan; implementing antivirus software should be quick and easy.

Ease of Use
Antivirus software is complex stuff, but shouldn’t require a degree in computer security. The best security programs have all the features security experts want, but are just as easily used by a beginner. Everyday computer users want a security solution that they can install and forget about; software that doesn’t require constant maintenance or have annoying interruptions. The best antivirus software is flexible enough to do exactly what you want to (even if that means running by itself).

Features
A well-rounded feature set takes a security solution from good to great. More than bells and whistles, added features provide security, usability and performance benefits.

Updates
Security software is only as good as its latest update. Viruses are being identified and added to signature databases all the time, so it’s important that your virus definition list updates accordingly. Modern antivirus software are equipped with automatic updates that perform regularly enough that you get faster updates that don’t slow down your system. The best security providers even “push” updates to you as soon as they’re available.

Help & Support
The best software doesn’t require reading an in-depth manual to use, but still has one available. For specific questions, troubleshooting, and additional help, the best antivirus manufacturers provide superior product support online and off. Additional support for software may come in the form of assistance over the phone, email, live chat, or through a number of additional resources (knowledgebase, FAQs, tutorials).

A well-balanced antivirus solution is effective, efficient, and easy to use. Combining all the right features with a usable interface; our top antivirus software choices deliver the best security and usability without a serious investment in time, money, or system resources.

"Virus Protection Software, McAfee, F-Secure, Kaspersky, Bit Defender, ESET Nod32, AVG, Trend Micro, antivirus review, Norton AntiVirus, CA Antivirus, Norman Antivirus, best antivirus software, antivirus aoftware review, best antivirus, anti-virus, bitdefnder, top 10 antivirus, top antivirus, top ten antivirus"

Source:http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

New virus infects PCs, whacks SCO

2010-05-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

A mass-mailing virus that quickly spread through the Internet on Monday planted a file that will instruct infected computers to attack the SCO Group's Web server with a flood of data on Feb. 1.

The virus--known as MyDoom, Novarg and as a variant of the Mimail virus by different antivirus companies--arrives in an in-box with one of several different random subject lines, such as "Mail Delivery System," "Test" or "Mail Transaction Failed." The body of the e-mail contains an executable file and a statement such as: "The message contains Unicode characters and has been sent as a binary attachment."

"It's huge," said Vincent Gullotto, vice president of security software maker Network Associates' antivirus emergency response team. "We have it as a high-risk outbreak."

In one hour, Network Associates itself received 19,500 e-mails bearing the virus from 3,400 unique Internet addresses, Gullotto said. One large telecommunications company has already shut down its e-mail gateway to stop the virus.

Once the virus infects a Windows-running PC, it installs a program that allows the computer to be controlled remotely. The program primes the PC to send data to the SCO Group's Web server, starting Feb. 1, a virus researcher said on the condition of anonymity.

The SCO Group has incurred the wrath of the Linux community for its claims that important pieces of the open-source operating system are covered by SCO's Unix copyrights. IBM, Novell and other Linux backers strongly dispute the claims.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/new-virus-infects-pcs-whacks-sco/

10 Most Dangerous Virus Mobile

2010-03-31T01:10:00.000-07:00

Virus in the same hp as computer viruses. Should a virus program, ie programs that can install themselves, they can cause damage either directly or indirectly. Although there are a few of them that do not cause damage, but they still cause damage.

Here’s a list of 10 most dangerous viruses ever found in mobile phones:

1. Cabir

Found: Jun 2004

Nickname: SymbOS / Cabir.A, EPOC / Cabir.A, Worm.Symbian.Cabir.a, Caribe

Target: Mobile Symbian S60V2

Scattered through: Bluetooth

Damage: slow performance of mobile
Cabir is a worm that spreads via a Bluetooth connection and into the inbox messages with an interesting name. If the file will be opened and installed, Cabir will start looking for other mobile targets that are open access his Bluetooth connections to spread. Cabir Bluetooth will enable a periodic basis, about 15-20 minutes, to get other mobile targets. There is no danger of damage, but the hp battery will run out more quickly because of continuous use bluetooth.

2. Skulls

Discovered: November 2004

Nickname: SymbOS.skulls, skulls.sis, Extenhded theme.sis

Target: Symbian mobile phone

Scattered through: Internet

Damage: mobile phones can not be used again except to call and receive calls.
When installed, Skull H will display notification message: “Install beta_092_free-sms-RM8″ and Skull S displays the message “Install BlueNum Stealer”, and some other weird messages. These types of Trojans and system damage caused icon menu icon changed into a skull. Not only can change the icons, Skull can damage all the applications that his icon has been changed. Usually when an infected application is opened it will appear is the error message.

3. CommWarrior

Found: Jan 2005

Nickname: random

Target: Mobile Symbian S60V2

Scattered through: Bluetooth and MMS

Damage: Sending virus replication through MMS to any number in contacs, spent a pulse.
These viruses are often not being recognized because the name he used was not sure. This type of virus attacks vary widely, but the most common is the virus will spread through Bluetooth. Several variants of this virus will also send MMS to random numbers stored in contacs. The last variant was found Commwarrior T. that infects the Symbian 8.1 (S60V2) or previous versions. This virus will spread and sometimes to open the HTML page containing a message like this:

“Introduction Surprise! Your phone infected by CommWarrior worm v3.0. Matrix has you, CommWarrior inside. No panic please, it is very interesting to have mobile virus at own phone. This worm does not bring any harm to your phone and your significant data. About CommWarrior worm for Nokia Series60 provides automatic real-time protection against harmful content Anti-Virus. CommWarrior is free software and is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, without any warranty. Thank you for using CommWarrior. CommWarrior © 2005 -2006 by e10d0r. ”

4. Locknut

Found: Mar 2005

Nickname: unknown

Target: Symbian s60

Scattered through: Internet download

Damage: crashing phone system (ROM)
Locknut or SymbOS.Locknut is a backdoor Trojan that uses the Symbian S60 system. The virus is dangerous because it can change the binary data (file extension. Bin) in the phone ROM from the system, and cause the cell phone operating system stops. Locknut E, one variant of this virus, will destroy important files in the system and cause the application Symbian infected can not be opened. In this way, over time will be locked phone in total.

5. Fontal

Discovered: April 2005

Nickname: unknown

Target: Symbian s60

Scattered through: Internet download

Damage: Lock the phone since the first fired and could not be used.
If the phone lock Locknut gradually, it will lock the phone Fontal since it first started.

6. RommWar

Found: –

Nickname: theme.sis, xxx.sis, Britney_.sis, or the names of other exciting fishing for installation

Target: Symbian s60

Scattered through: Bluetooth, MMS, and internet

Damage: causes phone can not boot, restarts itself often
When the installation process running, the screen will display a message like this: “Install Stoper by WarriorMarrior?”
RommWar consists of 4 variants namely A, B, C and D which all have functions can cause the phone not boot, restarts itself often, turn off the power button, and prevent the mobile to light when lit.

7. DoomBoot

Found: –

Nickname: Doom_2_wad_kracked_by_DFT_S60_v.1.0.sis (disguised as a mobile games Doom 2), exoVirusStopv2.13.19 (disguised as antivirus programs)

Target: symbian s60

Scattered through: Bluetooth

Damage: create corrupted files, preventing phone reboot, if successful reboot it should be hard-reset melakukkan
Doomboot including Trojan viruses. Many variants have been discovered, such as Doomboot A, C, L, F, G, and P. Make Doomboot A corrupted file, and after infecting a file, it will put other viruses such as CommWarrior.B into the mobile phone. Damaged file will prevent the phone to run the reboot. In addition, this virus also causes the battery will quickly run out due to constant use bluetooth connection.

8. CardTrap

Found: –

Nickname: masquerading as famous as kingkong game, Half Life, Battlefield 2, etc.. Sometimes also disguised as an application example SeleQ 1.7 - kracked TNT.sis

Target: Symbian S60 mobile phone and Windows-based PC

Scattered through: memory cards

Damage: causes important applications to malfunction, chaos systems, damaging the function of some buttons
The first mobile phone virus created to also attack Windows-based computers. He will put the virus into 2 files in memory cards for mobile phones. Many variants have been found, such as CardTrap P, Q, R, S to double alphabets like CardTrap AA, AG, AJ, etc.. Cardtrap damage your system by turning off some important applications, especially anti-virus applications. If the memory card to be infected with the virus is connected to a PC, it will grow CardTrap himself to the PC and they will spread themselves.

9. PBStealer

Found: –

Nickname: ChattingYuk.sis, PBCompressor.sis

Target: Symbian s60 phone

Scattered through: Bluetooth

Damage: exploiting the number of contacts, to-do list, database and notepad
PBStealer is mobile viruses from Indonesia, we take pride in Indonesia. This virus will copy important data on our mobile phones such as contacs, to-do list, notes, etc. into the format. Txt and then will spread to other mobile phones such as Bluetooth. Brief look harmless but what if there are important data we are disseminated and used for criminal purposes?.

10. AppDisabler

Found:

Nickname: –

Target: Symbian

Scattered through: Bluetooth, MMS

Damage: install other viruses are dangerous as well, such as Locknut, Cabir and Skulls, causing the entire operating system to a halt.

Source: http://cumaini.com/2010/01/10-most-dangerous-virus-mobile/

Symantec Security Response

2009-12-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

Symantec Security Response provides customers with comprehensive, global, 24X7 Internet security expertise to guard against today's complex Internet threats. Choose one of the two tailored Symantec site offerings that best meets your needs. In the future, consider bookmarking that page so you can get there directly next time and skip this page entirely.

IT Professionals

Choose If You:

Are responsible for others' online security
Work in corporate IT security
Want in-depth, detailed information

Quick Links:

Enterprise Security Response

Spam Trends

Our Brightmail IQ Services deliver comprehensive worldwide spam data, tools, and analysis to keep your organization informed and protected.Learn more

Source-link:Symantec AntiVirus Research Center

Rising antivirus 2009

2009-11-22T05:44:00.000-08:00

Rising Antivirus protects your computers against all types of viruses, Trojans, Worms, Rootkits and other malicious programs. Easy to use, Active Defense technology, Patented Unknown Virus Scan and Clean technology and Patented Smartupdate technology make RISING Antivirus install and forget product and entitles you to focus on your own jobs with your computer. Key Features:Zero day protection with Rising Cloud Security; Rising Cloud Security users communicate with the Rising virus lab to form a rapid response network which quickly catches Trojans and other malware. Antivirus & Antispyware Protection; Protection from Trojans, worms, rootkits and other malware. With unparalleled expertise in combating Asian malware, Rising offers you actual protection against today's cyber threats without putting a strain on your computer's resources. Advanced System Protection; File Monitor,automatically detects viruses in active files and prevents them from infecting your computer.Email Monitor,scans inbound (POP3) and outbound (SMTP) emails for malware. Smart Active Defense; System Reinforcement, Monitors and protects OS vulnerabilities against attacks by malware. Application Control, Monitor the operational status of applications and block suspicious activities. Malicious Behavior Interceptor, Monitors programs in the system for possible malicious behavior. USB/CD/DVD Monitor, Blocks malware on USB storage media, CDs/DVDs and network drives. Embedded Scan, Provides integrated protection for instant messengers, download managers and other popular tools. Web Trojan Defense, Automatically blocks malicious web scripts and viruses while you are browsing the web. Self-Protection, Prevents malware from making changes to the Rising Antivirus software.

Version 21.55.12 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

What's new in this version:

Version 21.55.12 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

New Folder.exe Virus Removal Tool

2009-10-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Virus also known as- IT University Sohanad W32.HLLW.Ssdx newfolder.exe
If this virus infected in you computer, It will Disable the following …
Task Manager, Registry Editor, Folder Options, Run in start menu
And it will create exes like the icon of folders. If this virus is running it

will use more than 50 % of your processor
Download following tools to remove new folder.exe virus
Download Tool 1 Download Tool 2 ( run tools In safe mode )

Manually remove it (new folder.exe Fix)
Delete File named svichossst.exe
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]“@”=[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]“Yahoo Messengger”=
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]“Shell”=”Explorer.exe “
Microsoft patch to prevent spreading Virus through removable medias : KB971029
list of windows updates since sp3 KB936929

Source: http://www.ask.com/bar?q=new+folder+virus&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Ftec-updates.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fnew-folderexe-virus-removal-tool.html

Norton Antivirus demands

2009-09-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

Norton Antivirus:

Computers have become the necessity of life transforming the way we all used to do things earlier. Now everything can be done with the help of computers and that is why they need protection and safety tool to protect your documents and files. The need of anti virus is needed because in this world there are few people who can use computers from destructive purposes. They create viruses when the people accidentally open them. Due to this threat experts are under process to come out with different anti virus software to protect such malicious software from destroying your computer files and hardware. One of the best softwares to combat such viruses is Norton anti virus. This software was developed by Symantec Corporation which detects and removes viruses, spyware, adware and other possible risks to computers. This software can be easily installed in your computer as a program. This software was first released in the year 1990 and one of its rival was central point anti virus. CPAV was licensed as the Microsoft anti virus utility. Norton anti virus prevents viruses and other malicious software from penetrating with your PC. This software works without interfering with regular use of your computer and nor does it interfere with internet surfing, music or any other download and online services. Norton keeps on coming with its improvised versions to give more protection and safety to the consumers. The latest version of Norton is Norton anti virus 2008. This anti virus software is available for free for fifteen days so that people can test the effectiveness of this software. After that you can purchase this software for $39.99. In order to get this software in your computer, you should be having windows XP or Windows Vista. The installation of Norton software is really easy. Simply install the CD in your CD drive and the installation process will start automatically. In fact the installer will ask whether you want a pre-install scan of your computer for viruses. After its competition your installation will begin. After installation you will be directed online and get up-to-date virus definitions. Don’t ignore this step as this is essential for good performance of the software. Norton anti virus has become the default choice of the large masses because it has the power and ability to scan and delete malicious virus and software quickly and efficiently.

Summary:

Norton is recognized to be the best anti virus software because of the presence of unique features. This software is widely used by the populace and is increasingly in demand these days.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/norton-antivirus-1110085.html

Panda Security unveils 2010 line-up and 80% performance gains

2009-09-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

Panda Security has this week launched its 2010 line-up of security products and the focus this year seems to be on performance.

There are four versions of the latestprotection including:

Panda Antivirus for Netbooks ($39.95)
Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 ($39.95 one PC, $49.95 three PCs)
Panda Internet Security 2010 ($59.95 one PC, $79.95 three PCs)
Panda Global Protection 2010 ($69.95 on PC, $89.95 three PCs)

Each version takes advantage of a cloud computing solution Panda call Collective Intelligence. Using that has helped the company minimise the resources required to protect your machine and boast just an 8MB memory footprint while running. Panda are also claiming an 80% performance improvement over previous editions, 60% improved browsing speed, and 40% improved downloading speed.

In the same way Kaspersky introduced its Ultra Portables solution earlier this month; Panda has decided to target netbooks with one of its Antivirus SKUs giving antivirus, anti-spyware, firewall, ID protection, anti-phishing, and anti-rootkit protection for mobile users.

For those not using a netbook there are three options. The Pro suite gives you a basic range of protection, Internet Security adds 2GB of online backup and recovery tools, anti-spam, parental controls, Web Filter, and Information Filter technology. Global Protection takes the online backup storage to 5GB, adds CD/DVD backups, and introduces PC tune-up.

All Panda Security 2010 products are now available to buy via the Panda Security website.

Read more at the Panda Security press release

Matthew’s Opinion

There seem to be three trends appearing with security vendors at the moment: performance, cloud computing, and netbook support. All three of those are very welcome focus points in my opinion.

Netbooks are a growing market, but have limited performance so a lightweight security solution is going to help keep them performing well while remaining protected. Performance of any security solution is always key and most vendors have come a long way with their latest solutions, for example, Norton 2009 was a vast improvement over earlier editions.

Cloud computing is still relatively new in terms of providing protection, but it is clearly a growing trend. Signature-based solutions alone are just not going to be good enough in the future and an online database and constant update/checking system is going to be key over the next few years.

Panda’s latest products seem to offer everything you need, but it looks like you need to buy at least Internet Security 2010 if you don’t want to rely on other security software as well. I don’t appreciate them charging extra for a three PC license though and I hope they revise that so the one PC license price becomes the three PC license price.

Source:http://www.geek.com/articles/news/panda-security-unveils-2010-line-up-and-80-performance-gains-20090626/

AVG decides iTunes is a virus

2009-09-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

If you are a user of AVG and iTunes then you might have had an issue over the weekend. An update to the AVG antivirus database was released on Friday, but for some reason it made AVG view some of the files used by iTunes as malicious

I just woke my computer (Windows Vista, AVG 8.5) from standby, plugged in my iPod Touch, and it complains that one of the iTunes DLLs is infected with the “Small.BOG” Trojan.
I hit “Heal” and all was well. iTunes wouldn’t run, obviously. So I downloaded and ran up the latest iTunes installer to repair the installation, and got “Multiple threat detection” and a list of all of the iTunes Localisation dlls.

A similar thread also appeared on the Apple forums as the number of users experiencing the problem started to grow. AVG reacted quickly though, admitted it was a false alarm, and issued a “How to fix” bulletin on Saturday. Anyone suffering with this problem can take the following steps to solve the issue:

Update AVG
If iTunes does not work after that open the AVG user interface.
Choose “Virus Vault” option from the “History” menu.
Locate the iTunes file that was incorrectly removed and select it (one click).
Click on the “Restore” button.

Source:http://www.geek.com/articles/apple/avg-decides-itunes-is-a-virus-20090728/

Autorun Virus Remover 2.3 build 1006

2009-09-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Download Now (1.13MB)

Tested spyware free

Publisher's description

From AutorunRemover :

Autorun Virus Remover provides protection against any malicious programs trying to attack via USB drive. When a USB device is inserted into your computer, Autorun Virus Remover will automatically scan it, block and delete autorun virus, trojans, and malicious code. Also, it can detect and remove USB virus such as autorun.inf virus in your computer.

Autorun Virus Remover can also remove the autorun virus due to which you can't open your hard disk and USB drive (Pen drive, Memory card) by double clicking. Autorun Virus Remover USB antivirus software to permanently protect offline computer against any USB virus without the need for signature updates. This light and easy to use solution is compatible with all software and doesn't slow down your computer at all. Version 2.3 build 1006 includes unspecified updates.

Source:http://download.cnet.com/Autorun-Virus-Remover/3000-2239_4-10855225.html

F-Secure Internet Security

Complete and easy-to-use internet security software for your PC.

Download Now

About iantivirus for MAC

2009-09-03T03:12:00.000-07:00

About

Introduction

With PC Tools iAntiVirus™ you are protected against the most nefarious cyber-threats attempting to gain access to your Mac and personal information.

Once your computer has been infected, a virus or worm will usually attempt to spread itself to your friends, family and associates by accessing your email contacts and networked PCs. The infection may also allow hackers to access files on your Mac, use it to launch attacks against other computers and websites or to send mass SPAM email.

PC Tools iAntiVirus™ provides real-time protection and comprehensive system scanning to ensure your Mac remains safe and virus free.

Protection against Mac specific threats

The iAntiVirus™ database has been designed from the ground up to detect and remove Mac specific threats. This enables a high level of protection whilst keeping memory footprint and resource usage at a minimum. The iAntiVirus™ database is not cluttered with signatures for Windows specific threats which your Mac is immune against.

Simple to use

iAntiVirus™ has been designed with the user in mind. The user interface is purely functional, making it simple to scan for, remove and manage infections.

Features

A variety of scan options

You may perform a variety of scan types using iAntiVirus™, this allows you to strike a balance between the time taken to complete a scan, and its thoroughness.

Real-time protection

IntelliGuard protects your Mac against infections in real time. Whenever an infection is detected and blocked, an alert is displayed below the system menu bar. IntelliGuard automatically places detected infections in quarantine, works silently in the background and uses minimal system resources.

Quarantine

iAntiVirus™ quarantines all detected infections, allowing you to easily view and restore items in the case of a false positive (for example: when scanning with engine heuristics set to high).

Automatic Smart Updates

Frequent updates to detect and guard computers against new threats and viruses as well as provide enhancements to iAntiVirus™ are automatically installed and downloaded through the Smart Update function. Threat signatures are updated within hours of a high risk malware outbreak to protect you from the latest online threats.

Low resource usage

When in monitoring mode iAntiVirus™ has been designed to work silently in the background, threats are blocked and removed without any system impact, while only a small alert window is displayed to advise you that your Mac has been protected against an attack.

Source:http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/avastantivirusmacedition.html

avast! antivirus Mac Edition 2.74

2009-09-03T02:55:00.000-07:00

About avast! antivirus Mac Edition
The avast! multi-award winning technology is now available on the Mac platform to protect both your Mac and your Windows PC using friends and co-workers from the lastest malware threats.

Winner of both the European AND US best anti-virus product, as well as winning the European best anti-malware category outright in last year's coveted SC Awards, avast! technologies can now be deployed to make your Mac safer against the ever-increasing malware threats being deployed against the platform, and in stopping malware threats being passed on to PC's in your office, particularly more vunerable Microsoft OS platforms.

Source:http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/avastantivirusmacedition.html

System Requirements

Mac OS X 10.5 or later

Download Details

Company:: ALWIL Software
Version:: 2.74
Post Date:: January 2, 2008
License:: Demo
File Size:: 12MB
URL Type:: Download
Download ID:: 16744

What is spoofing?

2009-08-23T03:47:00.001-07:00

If you are receiving bounce back messages from emails that you HAVEN'T sent you have probably been 'spoofed'

Email spoofing is when the sender changes the name in an outgoing email so that it looks like the email came from somewhere or someone else. This practice is often used by spammers to stop people finding out who they are. It also means that when the spam mail is rejected by the addressee's mail server, the bounce back message goes to whoever was specified in the outgoing mail rather than to the spammer themselves.

At present there is nothing we can do to avoid this nuisance. If you have been spoofed, please simply delete the bounce back messages. It doesn't mean that anyone has accessed your email account. You will probably find you receive a few for a short while and then they will stop.

Source: http://www.inf.aber.ac.uk/advisory/faq/133/

Virus-writing hackers are biggest threat

2009-08-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

We're in trouble when the two meet - "It isn't rocket science," says expert

Hackers who crossover into virus writing territory present the biggest danger to corporate computer systems as they perfect the 'blended threat' seen in recent virus outbreaks such as Sobig.

That's the assertion of Sarah Gordon, senior research fellow at Symantec Security Response, who has worked with the White House and the FBI to research the psychological profile of hackers and virus writers.

Gordon told silicon.com that hackers are driven by the motivation to complete a technology challenge and are usually not interested in the basic task of writing viruses and worms.

"There are people in the virus writing community who hack and people in the hacking community who write viruses but for the most part they are very separate communities. The virus writers are seen at the lower end of the food chain," she said.

But Gordon warned that creating a virus such as Sobig or Bugbear, only with much more damaging payloads, is well within the capabilities of even the most inexperienced hacker.

"Many of the threats are the result of the crossover between hackers and virus writers. Erasing a hard drive is a couple of key strokes. It isn't rocket science. A hacker of any skill level could write a self-replicating program but most find it too boring," she said.

And it seems the traditional stereotype of a spotty teenager hacking away in a dark bedroom is nothing more than a myth from the movies.

"The population is diverse. It just takes the ability to manipulate a computer system. It is not guys sat in a basement with piercings everywhere. It could be the 50-year-old accountant because she is bored, or the boss' 15-year-old daughter, or your 9-year-old nephew," she said.

There is also a distinct difference between hackers and virus writers, according to Gordon's research.

"Virus writers have normal relationships with peers and families. Hackers tend to be more introverted. Hacking is a very personal thing. One is power and control and the other is letting go."

Although Gordon works for a security software company, she says 'ethics' education at an early age would help prevent children and teenagers using their computer knowledge to cause damage.

"One thing that is important is introducing ethics in technology at an early age. On the computer there is less context and security. Teaching them that there's a person on the end of that modem is important," she said

The World's Most Dangerous Virus

2009-08-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

The World's Most Dangerous Virus: by Michael Robertson

Imagine if a computer virus emerged that secretly attached itself to one of the most popular software programs ever. Imagine if the largest media outlets unwittingly praised this secret pairing, encouraging millions of people to install it. Imagine if none of the major antivirus programs would detect it. Imagine if once installed, it could alter anything on your computer without your consent or knowledge. Imagine if the virus was at the control of a greedy entity that has repeatedly trampled on consumers and smaller companies to advance its corporate agenda. Imagine if it could force everyone who wanted to communicate with you to also carry the virus so it would insidiously spread person to person. Sound like a scary sci-fi plot? It's not science fiction. This week MO3 will be released on the world. Here's how to detect it in your neighborhood and what you can do to protect yourself

The Trojan Horse

Press outlets will blanket the world with stories about Microsoft Office 2003. Most articles will tout seemingly innocuous features and feel good quotes from Microsoft like "this is our most important product release ever." Unfortunately the press won't talk about the dangerous software buried inside this release - MO3. This code will give Microsoft the ability to change anything on your computer at anytime they wish with no notification to you.

The Security Ploy

Post 9/11, few people question actions taken under the guise of "improved security" and this is how MO3 will be foisted onto computer users - as a feature to 'make you safer.' Computer users have understandably tired of the near daily worm and virus warnings, as well as the time-consuming patch process due to Microsoft's lax software standards and its focusing not on building secure products, but products that secure its monopoly market positions. To improve the predicament which they've created, Microsoft is forcing consumers to accept MO3 embedded into every computer. Listen closely and you'll hear Microsoft mouth pieces speak of "turning software into a service" which really means they will be changing the software on your computer whenever they feel like it. They will slowly limit your ability to run non-Microsoft software. They will restrict choices on your computer to only those products they approve. They will make changes which cripple other software programs or reduce their ability to interoperate with your computer so you will be forced to use exclusively Microsoft approved products.

History Repeats Itself

Microsoft may use this newfound power to fix some holes in their software, but they will also abuse this power to further their corporate monopoly and increase their control and profits. Microsoft has already embedded the MO3 virus into another operating system they have deployed, called Xbox. They now have the power at anytime to change all existing Xboxes which connect to the Internet, and they are already misusing it. They have deleted files from users' computers without their knowledge or permission. They have added software which has removed the ability to run competitor's software. They have been changing users' systems without their consent and notification. They will do the same on Microsoft Windows based computers once MO3 is installed.

Microsoft management has shown to be deceitful and dishonest and will continue this behavior. Twice Microsoft has been found guilty by the Federal government of using illegal tactics to drive competitors out of business and extend their monopoly. December 1st, 2003 a trial will take place in Seattle Washington where more of Microsoft's past behaviors will come to light.

Infecting Friends

Microsoft Word (.doc) file open in StarOffice 7

To stop the advance of competing products and to force users into purchasing new software with the MO3 virus, Microsoft is making certain Microsoft Office 2003 files unreadable by all older versions of Microsoft Office and all competing office suites. Products like Sun's StarOffice are getting extremely good at interoperating with Microsoft word processing, presentation and spreadsheet files making it possible for people to spend close to $50 for an office suite instead of giving $400 or more to Microsoft. To blunt this and force users of older versions of Microsoft Office to buy new software, Microsoft has changed the specifications for some files.

Again under the umbrella of "security," Microsoft is implementing features which limit who can open and edit documents to further thwart competition. Microsoft Office 2003 gives its users the ability to control who can read and edit certain documents, but only if they use the latest Microsoft software. If one user within an office uses this feature, all others will be unable to use any other office suite to access that document. They will not be permitted to run Linux software, they will be required to purchase and run additional copies of Microsoft Office 2003. Since documents are frequently emailed around via the Internet, this will force others to accept Microsoft's software or be unable to communicate. Microsoft refers to this as IRM for "information rights management," but it's really an "infection relay method" designed to force everyone to adopt MO3. They will be using scare tactics about leaked memos or misdirected emails to persuade unwitting computer users to deploy this technology. Doing so will create a viral growth of MO3 which will give MS unlimited power over every computer.

Universal MO3

MO3 will not only come with Microsoft Office 2003, but with future Microsoft products as well. The same technology will be embedded into the next version of Microsoft's operating system software so all users will have to accept it with their new computer. Latest estimates indicate this new software will not ship until 2006, so between now and then, watch for Microsoft to secretly embed MO3 into updates or security patches that they promote for their existing product line.

Protect Yourself

Microsoft Excel (.xls) file open in StarOffice 7

There are precautionary measures you can take to fend off MO3. First off, do not purchase and install Microsoft Office 2003. Also, discourage those around you from purchasing Microsoft Office as well, since one infection will quickly grow. If you need a new office suite, check out the solid and affordable StarOffice 7.0 which runs equally well on Microsoft Windows or Linux computers, and can be purchased online and immediately downloaded and installed. Encourage those penning articles and reviews to fully inform their readers of the dangers of Microsoft Office 2003. Finally, encourage them to do in-depth reviews of Microsoft Office 2003 vs. Sun's StarOffice 7.0 so people can make informed decisions about the benefits and risks of either product.

Article Source: www.auctionhints.com

The Most Dangerous Computer Viruses in History

2009-08-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

Computer viruses have a relatively short history by the damages caused by some of the most dangerous viruses pushed cyber-experts to open a chapter that includes a huge database on computer viruses and the cost of damages caused along with companies, government and universities highly affected by malware.

Here are some of the most dangerous computer viruses in history:

Jerusalem - 1988

This is one of the first MS-DOS viruses in history that caused enormous destructions, affecting many countries, universities and company worldwide. On Friday 13, 1988 the computer virus managed to infect a number of institutions in Europe, America and the Middle East. The name was given to the virus after one of the first places that got "acquainted" with it - the Jerusalem University.

Along with a number of other computer viruses, including "Cascade", "Stoned", "Vienna" the Jerusalem virus managed to infect thousands of computers while still remaining unnoticed. Back then the anti-virus programs were not as advanced as they are today and a lot of users had little belief of the existence of computer viruses.

Morris (a.k.a. Internet Worm) - November 1988

This computer virus infected over 6,000 computer systems in the United States, including the famousNASA research Institute, which for some time remained completely paralyzed. Due to erratic code, the worm managed to send millions of copies of itself to different network computers, being able to entirely paralyze all network resources. The damages caused by the Morris computer virus were estimated at $96 millions.

To be able to spread the computer virus used errors in such operating systems as Unix for VAX and Sun Microsystems. There were a number of other interesting ideas used by the virus - for example it could pick user passwords.

Solar Sunrise - 1998

A decade later the situation didn't change, it might have gotten even got worse. Using a computer virus, hackers, in 1998, penetrated and took control of over 500 computers systems that belonged to the army, government and private sector of the United States. The whole situation was dubbed Solar Sunrise after the popular vulnerabilities in computers that run on the operating system called Sun Solaris. Initially it was believed that the attacks were planed by the operatives in Iraq. It was later revealed that the incidents represented the work of two American teenagers from California. After the attacks, the Defense Department took drastic actions to prevent future incidents of this kind.

Melissa - 1999

For the first time computers got acknowledged with Melissa computer virus on March 26, 1999, when the virus shut down Internet mail system, which got blocked with e-mails infected by the worm. It is worth mentioning that at first Melissa was not meant to cause any harm, but after it overloaded servers the virus led to unpredictable problems. For the first time it spread in the Usenet discussion group alt.sex. Melissa was hidden within a file called "List.DiC", which featured passwords that served as keys to unlocking 80 pornographic websites. The original form of the virus was sent through e-mail to different users.

Melissa computer virus was developed by David L. Smith in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey. Its name comes from a lap dancer that the programmer got acknowledged with while in Florida. After being caught, the creator of the virus was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. The arrest represented a collaboration of FBI, New Jersey State Police and Monmouth Internet.

Melissa had the ability to multiply on Microsoft Word 97 and Word 2000, as well as Microsoft Excel 97, 2000 and 2003. In addition, the virus had the ability to mass-mail itself from Microsoft Outlook 97 or Outlook 98.

I Love You - May 2000

Using a similar method as the Melissa, the computer virus dubbed "I Love You" managed to infect millions of computers around the world in just one night. Just like Melissa this computer virus sent passwords and usernames, which were stored on the attacked computers, back to the developer of the virus. After authorities traced the virus they found that a young Filipino student was behind the attack. The young man was released due to the fact that the Philippines did not have any law that would prevent hacking and spreading malware. This situation served as one of the premises for creating theEuropean Union's global Cybercrime Treaty.

The Code Red worm - July 2001

This 21st century computer virus managed to penetrate tens of thousands of systems that ran Microsoft Windows NT as well as Windows 2000 server software. The damages caused by the Code Red computer virus were estimated at a total of $2 billion. Core Red was developed to use the power of all computers it infected against the official website of the White House at a predetermined date. In collaboration with different virus hunters and tech firms, the White House managed to decipher the code of the Code Red virus and stop traffic as the malware started its attacks.

Nimda - 2001

Shortly after the September 11 tragedy this computer virus infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. Nimda was considered to be one of the most complicated viruses, having up to 5 different methods of infecting computers systems and duplicating itself.

Downadup - 2009

The latest and most dangerous virus is the "downadup" worm, which was also called "Conficker". The computer security company F-Secure stated that the computer virus has infected 3.5 million computers worldwide. This malicious program was able to spread using a patched Windows flaw. Downadup was successful in spreading across the Web due to the fact that it used a flaw that Microsoft patched in October in order to distantly compromise computers that ran unpatched versions of Microsoft's operating system. But the greatest power of the worm is believed to be the ability of computers, infected with the worm, to download destructive code from a random drop point. F-Secure stated that three of the most affected countries were China, Brazil and Russia.

Article Source: www.infoniac.com

6 ever Most Dangerous Computer pc viruses and worms

2009-08-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

Viruses and worms are a cause for thousands of losses all over the world. There are number of viruses and worms created. Below i have listed 6 most dangerous and havoc creating viruses that affected millions of computer users over the world. The order of viruses is not important.

Most dangerous computer viruses :

1. ILOVEYOU :

This ILOVEYOU worm is considered to be most dangerous worm ever created. It was written in VBScript. It was first noticed in Philippines on May 4 2000 and then spread all over world in just one day, affecting 10% internet users and causing loss of about $5.5 billion. The worm arrived in email inbox with subject “ILOVEYOU”. Hence, called ILOVEYOU worm. It had an attachment “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs” . The worm overwrote many important files, with music, multimedia files with a copy of itself attached to each file. Also, it sent the worm to everyone on victim contact list. Thus, worm spread very fast. Only windows users were affected.

2. Mydoom :

Mydoom , a computer virus affected Microsoft Windows. After it was first noticed on January 26, 2004, it became fastest spreading computer virus ever, breaking record of Sobig worm. Mydoom was designed to send junk emails from infected computers. The actual worm programmer is still unknown.

3. Virut virus :

This Virut virus infects executable portable files such as .exe and .scr andeach time it propagates it uses Polymorphism - to evade detection. On infected machine, virus opens a backdoor connecting with an IRC server which is prespecified by virus programmer. This backdoor allow attacker to download additional malware to victim computer. This virus affected and shut down court system computers of Texas this February.

4. Blaster worm :

This Blaster worm - a computer worm that affected computers running Microsoft operating systems. But, the spread of this worm was limited by filtering of ISP and its publicity. The worm was designed to start a SYN Flood on Aug 15, 2003 against port 80 of windowsupdate.com, intended to create a distributed DDoS attack against this site.

If the worm detects an internet connection, the system would become unstable and after displaying a message for 60 seconds, the system used to restart. The message displayed looked like:

“I just want to say LOVE YOU SAN!!”

“billy gates why do you make this possible? Stop making money

and fix your software!!”

5. Sobig worm :

This worm ws detected in Aug 2003 which affected millions of internet connected windows operating systems. The worm was written using Microsoft Visual C++ compiler and compressed using tElock. The most destructive version was Sobig.F .

This worm was worm as it replicated itself and also a Trojan Horse as it appeared other than malware. The programmer of this worm is still not known.

6. Conficker virus :

This virus came into role in November 2008 and affected millions of computer. Basically, its a worm capable of replicating itself and thus can spread fast. The worm spreads itself primarily through a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Server Service on Windows based computers.

When this worm is executed on a computer, it is capable of disabling Windows services such as Windows Update, Windows Defender, Windows Security Center and even Windows Error reporting.

But, the threat due to this worm is reduced as most antiviruses are now detecting this worm and its further spread is thus prevented. This worm is mainly spreading in China, followed by Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and India - where software update is done to less extent.

So friends, this is all about viruses. These are most dangerous viruses or worms that affected millions of worldwide computers. I just wanted to say that keep your antiviruses updated to prevent yourself from being affected by such viruses and worms. If you think any other virus or worm needs mention over here, please mention it in comments section. I will update the article.

Enjoy…..

Article Source: http://computer-bloggingtricks.today.com/2009/03/12/6-ever-most-dangerous-computer-pc-viruses-and-worms/

Top Ten Most Dangerous Viruses

2009-08-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

Sophos recently published the top ten most dangerous and most active viruses that were spotted online in November. Sadly, the results of this chart aren't very flattering for security experts worldwide as this particular month has seen a record number of malware riding the online waves. This was also a prolific time for one of the Sober variants, Sober-Z having

real chances of becoming the number one virus this year.

The report has been put together thanks to the Sophos global network of monitoring stations and it proves that even if Sober-Z was spotted near the end of the month it managed to spread so fast and on a wide scale that it made up for its late entry and in the end accounted for one in every 13 emails sent.

Sober took the Internet by storm and also managed to take the lead of the Sophos virus chart, while Netsky-P, the worm written by convicted German teenager Sven Jaschan, fell to second position after dominating the number one spot for the past four months. The new variant of Sober has been "awarded" with a 42.9% share of all spotted viruses and it spreads as an email attachment. Once installed it attempts to block antivirus software and it scans the computer for email addresses in order to automatically forward itself to the new destination.

The November top virus chart includes three different families, Netsky, Mytob and Zafi, which proves virus authors are still inclined to make new variants of malware that has been around for some time.

The complete top 10 most dangerous viruses in November is the following:

1. Sober-Z

2. NetSky-P

3. Mytob-GH

4. Mytob-EX

5. Zafi-D

6. Mytob-BE

7. Zafi-B

8. Mytob-AS

9. NetSky-D

10. Mytob-C

Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335

2009-08-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

Alwil Software - 29.81MB (Non-Commercial Freeware)

Description:

avast! antivirus Home Edition represents the best free antivirus protection currently available on the market. This edition is FREE OF CHARGE for non-commercial & home use. Its features include:

Title:	Avast! Home Edition 4.8.1335
Filename:	setupeng.exe
File size:	29.81MB (31,262,848 bytes)
Requirements:	Windows (All Versions)
License:	Non-Commercial Freeware
Date added:	February 6, 2009
Author:

Anti-spyware built-in
Web Shield
Anti-rootkit built-in
Automatic updates
Strong self-protection
Virus Chest
Antivirus kernel
System integration
Simple User Interface
Integrated Virus Cleaner
Resident protection
Support for 64-bit Windows
P2P and IM Shields
Internationalization
Network Shield

Article Source: Avast Home (FileHipo)

KesperSky Antivirus Database Updates

2009-08-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

The antivirus databases currently contain 2634368 records.

The last update to the antivirus databases was released at 16 August 2009 at 05:23 (GMT).

It is essential to update your antivirus databases on a regular basis. If you do not, your antivirus program will not detect the latest malicious programs. Therefore, we release updates every hour to ensure that users are protected against the latest malware.

In February 2005, we stopped issuing large cumulative updates. All antivirus database files can now be updated hourly; this means that we are able to rapidly update the files and users of our products can access these new files.

Automatic updating

All users are strongly encouraged to use the integrated automatic download function.

This update module determines exactly which update files your solution needs. This reduces the amount of information you will need to download from our servers.

If you are unable to use the automatic update function, download databases in zip-archives and install them on your computer:

7.0 products

Optional databases

Starting with version 6, the optional databases do not have to be downloaded separately. For more information, please see more about optional databases.

Article Source: KesperSky Database Updates

BitDefender Internet Security 2009

2009-08-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.antivirusnews.net/antivirus-reviews/detail-3.html

What it does?	- Confidently download, share and open files from friends, family, co-workers - and even total strangers!
	- Protect your identity: shop, bank, listen, watch privately and securely / Guard your conversations with top-of-the line encryption
	- Connect securely to any network at home, in the office or away / Protect your family and their computers!
	- Play safe, play seamlessly! / Get fine-tuned performance from your computer !
Detailed Features	Improved: Scans all web, e-mail and instant messaging traffic for viruses and spyware, in real-time \| Proactively protects against new virus outbreaks using advanced heuristics
	Blocks attempted identity theft (phishing) \| Improved: Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, web or instant messaging
	NEW Instant Messaging Encryption \| NEW File Vault securely stores personal information or sensitive files
	Automatically modifies firewall protection settings to suit location \| Wi-Fi monitor helps prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network
	Blocks access to inappropriate websites and e-mail \| Schedules and limits kids access to Internet and to applications Article Source:

Panda Antivirus Review

2009-07-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

Panda Antivitus is another great antivirus program which is effective and simple to use. Panda Antivirus is ICSA and VB100% certified and now includes identity theft protection, anti-phishing, and IM protection. The interface is very clean and simple to navigate however heuristic file scan is disabled by default for some reason. Another interesting feature we found is a CPU load management option which reduces CPU load during scans.

Panda Antivirus Features:

• Automatic detection and elimination of all types of viruses

• Immediate and automatic updates

• Simple to use• Maximum speed, minimum resource use

• Up-to-the-minute news about the latest Internet threats.

• Tech Support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• Identity theft protection

Panda Antivirus Minimum Requirements:

Operating Systems: Windows XP/VistaProcessor

(CPU): Pentium 300MHzMemory

(RAM): 128Mb of RAMHard Drive

(HDD): 256 MB of free space

Webroot Antivirus

2009-07-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

Manufacturer: Webroot Software

Version: 6

Webroot Antivirus with Antispyware and Firewall is a solid product from Webroot Software. This competent defender earns our"TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award" because it not only includes sophisticated antivirus components but also includes a full version of Spy Sweeper anti-spyware software. Both programs have been awarded all major industry awards and certifications and can dynamically alter themselves to fight emerging threats that hit the World Wide Web every second of the day.
The internet provides unlimited opportunities for communication, education, commerce and entertainment; however, it also provides opportunity to malevolent programmers and pranksters to distribute their viruses, spyware, worms, keyloggers and more. It is absolutely necessary that all internet connected computers have a serious, up-to-the-second form of protection, like Webroot’s Antivirus with Anti-Spyware.
Putting advanced antivirus software on your computer is not a sign of paranoia, it is smart. All computers that are connected to the internet without some sort of protection will acquire some kind of virus, spyware, adware or worse. Take proactive action and defend your personal information and your computer with a program like Webroot’s Antivirus with Anti-Spyware.
Webroot Antivirus Standout Features:
West Coast Labs and ICSA Labs Certified, also received VB100 Award
Gamer mode for uninterrupted play
Includes the award-winning Spy Sweeper for advanced spyware protection
Webroot offers free remote file storage
Ease of Use:
This antivirus software is perfectly designed for home users and those who do not know much about security software and security threats. The software includes well thought out menus, easy to understand icons, and the layout is organized and logical.
Configuring this antivirus software is easy, it has powerful default or recommended security shields, so it really can configure itself, if you do not want to have to figure out which of the 17 shields to run. It is also simple to command quick or deep scans as needed. However, if you want to configure a customized sweep, that option is available too.
Effectiveness:
Webroot Antivirus successfully keeps computers free of malevolent viruses and other malicious applications. And it has the awards and certifications to prove it. This antivirus software has received the VB100 award (Virus Bulletin) 39 times for detection of 100% of all viruses in the wild. It is also has received the West Coast Labs checkmark certification for detection and disinfection of 100% of in the wild viruses. Webroot Antivirus is also ICSA Labs certified. It is not just TopTenREVIEWS that recommends Webroot security software; the Spy Sweeper part of this package has received PC Magazine’s Editors Choice recognition eight times.
Updates:
Frequent updates are absolutely necessary since new threats emerge constantly, Webroot Antivirus and AntiSpyware offers updates automatically and regularly, even hourly if needed. It also has the ability to detect “suspicious” behavior so it can protect your computer well before new menaces hit the official threat list.
Feature Set:
Webroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper offers almost everything that a full security suite does, it monitors internet activity, scans emails, performs full system scans and it is constantly updated.
This antivirus software includes 17 kinds of shields, 13 of which are included in the recommended setting. These powerful shields include web browser protection, network shields, Windows systems shields, start-up protection and email attachment scanning. This software has the ability to protect computers from common threats like viruses, adware, spyware, Trojans, malware, keyloggers, worms, rootkits, browser hijackers and cookie trackers.
Beyond the “always on” protection it also includes three different types of scans, a quick sweep, a full sweep and a customized sweep option. The quick sweep quickly scans through locations that unwanted programs are often found, the full sweep is a once per week scan that looks deep for spyware and viruses, the customized sweep can be configured to only scan or not scan specific drives, files or file extension types.
This software is updated constantly, every hour or less if needed, it can be set to automatically update or can be updated manually. It will also tell you when the last update occurred. In addition, Webroot Antivirus offers alerts and news that relate up-to-date information about the newest threats.
Webroot Antivirus also has a feature called gamer mode, which can pause scheduled scans and alerts while you are playing a game or watching a movie, so you can enjoy your entertainment uninterrupted.
Ease of Installation:
This security software downloads quickly and in most cases can run in the background without slowing down other processes. However, we would recommend that this software be installed on a PC that exceeds the recommended minimum system requirements. The recommended requirements list only 256 MB of RAM, which will hardly run any software efficiently these days and certainly is not competent enough for multitasking.
Help/Support:
Webroot provides free US-based online and telephone support. They also publish extensive customer and technical support online such as tutorials and a useful, searchable knowledgebase. They offer remote desktop assistance with your permission.
With the purchase of this antivirus software you get a service that very few other companies offer, free remote storage of files. Webroot offers a virtual storage space for backing up files, so you can access you files from any computer with an internet connection. This service also is useful if you need to send large files. Generally, it is difficult to send large files as an email attachment; this service can provide you with a download link that you can pass along through an email, so the recipient can instantly access the file without having to open a large attachment. Of course this download link does not provide others access to your additional files stored on the remote servers.
Summary:
Webroot Antivirus with AntiSpyware, backed up evidentially by high test scores from rigorous industry testing, has proved to be a powerful and versatile security program that is easy to use and install. With a gamer mode and free remote file storage, Webroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper provides full spectrum security with useful extras.
Review Source: Toptenreviews.com

Norton AntiVirus Virus Definitions description

2009-07-23T23:16:00.001-07:00

Contains the latest free virus databases for Norton AntiVirus Virus (NAV)

Signature file updates ensure that your PC is protected from the latest viruses. It is very important to make sure that you have the latest signature on your PC.

As new threats emerge, Symantec immediately builds new Virus Definitions Updates and makes them available for download.

Note: The i32 Intelligent Updater package cannot be used to update Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.0, 9.0, or 10.0 servers or Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition 7.6 servers, but can be used to update Corporate Edition clients. The x86 Intelligent Updater package can be used to update Corporate Edition clients and servers.

Which virus definition file do you need?

External Mirror 1 & External Mirror 2 - Supports the following versions of Symantec antivirus software:

· Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional Edition

· Norton AntiVirus 2003 for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional Edition

· Norton AntiVirus 2004 for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2005 for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2006 for Windows 2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2007 for Windows XP Home/XP Pro/Vista

· Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange (Intel)

· Norton SystemWorks (all versions)

· Norton Utilities for Windows 95/98 (all versions)

· Symantec AntiVirus 3.0 for CacheFlow Security Gateway

· Symantec AntiVirus 3.0 for Inktomi Traffic Edge

· Symantec AntiVirus 3.0 for NetApp Filer/NetCache

· Symantec AntiVirus 8.0 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 8.1 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 9.0 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.0 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.2 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec Mail Security for Domino 4.0

· Symantec Mail Security for Domino 5.0

External Mirror 3 & External Mirror 4 - Supports the following versions of Symantec antivirus software:

· Norton AntiVirus 2008 for Windows XP Home/XP Pro/Vista

· Norton Internet Security 2008 for Windows XP Home/XP Pro/Vista

External Mirror 5 & External Mirror 6 - Supports the following versions of Symantec antivirus software:

· Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional Edition

· Norton AntiVirus 2003 for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional Edition

· Norton AntiVirus 2004 for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2005 for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2006 for Windows 2000/XP Home/XP Pro

· Norton AntiVirus 2007 for Windows XP Home/XP Pro/Vista

· Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange (Intel)

· Symantec AntiVirus 3.0 CacheFlow Security Gateway

· Symantec AntiVirus 3.0 for Inktomi Traffic Edge

· Symantec AntiVirus 3.0 for NetApp Filer/NetCache

· Symantec AntiVirus 8.01 (Build 457 and above) Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 8.01 (any Build prior to 457) Corporate Edition Client or Server

· Symantec AntiVirus 8.1 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 9.0 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.0 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.2 Corporate Edition Client

· Symantec AntiVirus for Bluecoat Security Gateway for Windows 2000 Server/2003 Server

· Symantec AntiVirus for Clearswift MIMESweeper for Windows 2000 Server/2003 Server

· Symantec AntiVirus for Microsoft ISA Server for Windows 2000 Server/2003 Server

· Symantec Mail Security for Domino 4.0

· Symantec Mail Security for Domino 5.0

· Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server 4.x

· Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange 4.5

· Symantec Mail Security for SMTP v 4.x

· Symantec Web Security 3.0 for Windows

· Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine for Windows

This all inclusive updater will update all of the products listed above. This is useful for updating multiple machines and products with one single package.

External Mirror 7 & External Mirror 8 - Supports the following versions of Symantec antivirus software for 64-bit platforms:

· Norton AntiVirus 2008 for Windows XP/Vista for 64-bit OS only

· Norton Internet Security 2008 for Windows XP/Vista for 64-bit OS only

External Mirror 9 & External Mirror 10 - Supports the following versions of Symantec antivirus software for 64-bit platforms:

· Symantec AntiVirus 8.1 Corporate Edition Client for 64-bit OS only

· Symantec AntiVirus 9.0 Corporate Edition Client for 64-bit OS only

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.0 Corporate Edition Client for 64-bit OS only

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 Corporate Edition Client for 64-bit OS only

· Symantec AntiVirus 10.2 Corporate Edition Client for 64-bit OS only

Lates Virus Definition Download Fee

Article Source: Softpedia.com

AVG Antivirus 8

2009-07-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Product summary

The good:

AVG Anti-Virus 8 includes anti-drive-by download protection along with antirootkit, antivirus, and anstipyware protection.

The bad:

AVG Anti-Virus 8 tested in the middle or even to the slow end for scanning and boot time performance.

The bottom line:

AVG Anti-Virus 8 is solid at finding and removing viruses and spyware as well as blocking Web threats, but could be lighter on system resources and provide more technical support options.

CNET editors' review

The biggest news with AVG Anti-Virus 8 is that it includes Linkscanner, a technology that actively blocks malicious content from Web sites that may have been hijacked or otherwise compromised. Also, antivirus, antispyware, and antirootkit preventions have been combined into one product. The new drive-by download protection combined with AVG's award winning effectiveness in blocking and removing antivirus and antispyware code is tempered only by its somewhat slow performance in CNET Labs benchmark tests. While individual applications loaded fast, scan and boot times trended toward the slow end.

Installation

We were able to download and install AVG Anti-Virus 8 on a Dell XPS machine running Windows XP SP2 with no difficulty and without rebooting. If you are upgrading from a previous version of AVG, you must uninstall that version first before installing version 8.0. AVG provides a fully functional 30-day trial. While installing, AVG asks one critical question: do you want to install the security toolbar? Since it's hard to say whether you want that, we recommend saying no. Although AVG recommends installation, we found that it installs a prominent search box with Yahoo as the default search engine, and little else. Even without the toolbar, we were still able to use the Linkscanner technology.

After installation, AVG walks you through seven steps:

Screen one merely describes the wizard
Screen two asks how often AVG should update itself
Screen three asks if you want to report compromised Web sites to AVG
Screen four asks if you want to use the Yahoo search as your Internet browser default (this is the second time you asked to adopt the Yahoo search engine; if you installed the security toolbar, you'll already have Yahoo on your browser via the toolbar)
Screens five and six lets you to download updates
The seventh step tells you that the seven-step process you've completed is just the first part.

We do not like the interface in AVG Anti-Virus 8. Although it is an improvement over the previous design, the right windowpane is too crowded with large icons. There are nine icons in all. Below each is a statement telling you if that feature is active. Clicking an icon will run either access additional information about that tool or run that specific scan.

The left windowpane includes only three options, Overview (the icon view in the right hand window), Computer Scanner, and Update Now. Computer Scanner has but one option, scan all. Update Now is equally opaque, mysteriously searching and downing something onto your PC.

A toolbar above these windows contains the advanced feature options.

Should you wish to remove AVG Anti-Virus 8, there is a removal option under All Programs. After a reboot, we found a handful of registry entries related to the free trial, and some empty directories in our system directory.

Features

The biggest addition to AVG Anti-Virus 8 is the inclusion of the Linkscanner technology, but the integration is less than optimal. Linkscanner, formerly from Exploit Prevention Labs, is known for its ability to block malicious content from Web sites.

For threat testing, we directed our browser to a site known to host malicious content. AVG Anti-Virus 8 did flag the site, however, our request for additional information about the threat produced a generic AVG virus encyclopedia page. With the standalone Linkscanner Pro package, it would tell us which exploit it found and it would produce a rich log archive so you can see which sites it said had malicious software. We couldn't find any of that within AVG Anti-virus 8.

We also tested the Linkscanner integration within AVG Anti-Virus 8 by visiting five current phishing Web sites listed on Phish Track. AVG reported none to be suspicious, although the default antiphishing protection in Firefox 2.0 did flag several sites.

Performance

AVG Anti-Virus 8 scored well in CNET Labs' performance tests and in third-party, independent antivirus testing using live viruses, although not always the top position. On the CNET iTunes test, AVG Anti-Virus 8 came in just 4 seconds above the test system at 272 seconds. On the CNET Microsoft Officetest, AVG Anti-Virus 8 finished in 1,413 seconds. In a test scanning a single folder with compressed and media files, AVG Anti-Virus 8 completed it in 550 seconds. And in boot speed, AVG Anti-Virus 8 came in toward the slower end, with a fast 37.95 seconds. Click here to find out more about how we test Antivirus software.

In terms of protecting your PC, we refer readers to two leading independent antivirus testing organizations. In the latest test results from AV-Comparatives.org, gave AVG Anti-Virus 7.5 an Advanced rating (highest) for On Demand protection and Advanced Plus (highest) for heuristic protection, blocking 97 percent of the malicious code used in the test. Our second source of independent antivirus testing, CheckVir.com, ranked AVG Anti-Virus 7.5--the previous version--as one of five products to earn their Standard rating (highest) for identifying malicious software (the products were not tested for removal).

Support

AVG Technologies provides AVG Anti-Virus 8 customers with e-mail technical support within the program. Online, there are searchable FAQs with a handful of useful questions and answers, and there is a downloadable 124-page PDF users' manual that, unfortunately, lacks a comprehensive index. AVG doesn't provide telephone technical support , nor is there a free online user's forum for posting questions.

Conclusion

AVG Anti-Virus 8 is solid at finding and removing viruses and spyware as well as blocking Web threats. As for antiphishing, the product could be better at detecting newly active phishing sites. Also, we look for further improvements in performance, as well as more technical support options in future releases.

Article Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/internet-security-and-firewall/avg-antivirus-8/4505-3667_7-32887573.html?tag=mncol;also

AntiVirus Software Review "Kaspersky "

2009-07-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

Manufacturer: Kaspersky

Version: 200

Overview
Kaspersky Labs has been one of the best antivirus software developers in the world for over a decade and now Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 only strengthens that reputation. Founded by Natalia and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997, this Russian company is often the first to find and identify new viruses. Long used in Russia and Europe, Kaspersky is now making inroads in the North American market. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 is one of the most effective antivirus packages in the world today and boasts a great interface with easy to use and intuitive controls.
Like so many of the other antivirus packages including BitDefender, Kaspersky Anti-Virus comes with an antispyware component. Kaspersky's software is among the best products in the world, but at $39.95 for a one-user for one-year license, it’s on the high-end of the software we reviewed. There are no complaints about Kaspersky's effectiveness or ease -of-use. As a result, Kaspersky Anti-Virus is the“TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award” winner. If you're looking for antivirus protection for small business, you might be interested in Kapersky Anti-Virus for File Server orKaspersky Business Space Security, one of the best small business antivirus software suites available.
Kaspersky's Standout Features
Highly Effective antivirus/antispyware protection
Light on computer resources
Nearly all features are configurable
Great interface, easy-to-use and intuitive
Ease of Use:
Kaspersky has always been among the best samples of antivirus software on the market, but has been less than simple to use. With the release of version 7, Kaspersky dramatically improved their interface giving this software an interface that matches the quality of the overall package. Further improvements have been made for the 2009 version. From a geek’s perspective, Kaspersky's interface is probably the best of all the software reviewed. That being said, it may not be ideal for someone who's not interested in fine-tuning and tweaking their antivirus software. Every feature is configurable and controllable with intuitive and easy to use controls in Kaspersky Anti-Virus.
Effectiveness:
Kaspersky Labs has always been known for its ability to effectively detect and remove viruses as well as or better than any software program on the market. Like BitDefender, Kaspersky was able to remove over 98% of all viruses it encountered in the most recent objective tests of AV-test.org. Kaspersky is also certified by all of the major virus/malware testing laboratories. Tests confirm Kaspersky's effectiveness. It found every virus on the test computer.
Although Kaspersky is excellent at detecting viruses and malware, it could use some work in the detection of spyware. Independent tests by AV-test.org showed that Kaspersky allowed 8% of adware/spyware to go undetected. Furthermore, Kaspersky’s proactive/heuristic engine failed to meet the high standards set by BitDefender, NOD32, F-Secure, Panda and some others.
Like other software with proactive/heuristic engines to detect malware before their signatures are available, Kaspersky's scan is relatively slow. The time and resources demanded by these proactive/heuristic engines slows these scans, and relatively slow scans may be the price we pay for this level of protection. Of the antivirus software packages reviewed, only NOD32 (see “TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award” winner) scored high on both proactive detection and scan speed.
Updates:
The best antivirus software packages provide virus signature updates on a routine basis. Both Kaspersky and BitDefender update their signatures every hour. That may seem like overkill until a new virus rapidly begins to spread around the globe and your antivirus software only updates every week. That may be too late for you! Since it does its updates automatically, you get the best protection with no effort on your part.
Feature Set:
Kaspersky's feature set is one of its strongest assets. While BitDefender’s interface is primarily an enable/disable feature set, Kaspersky is the software-tweakers dream with controls for nearly all of its features. Like most of the antivirus packages in our review, Kaspersky protects your computer from spyware as well as viruses. Scanning for both viruses and spyware simultaneously is far more efficient in terms of time and resources than stopping to do both separately. Like Bit Defender,“TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” winner, Kaspersky scans email and port 80 traffic (port 80 is the port that receives web traffic and must be open while browsing the web) so that this excellent software can detect and block online viruses, Trojans, and various other malware before they can cause you trouble.
Kaspersky also has a proactive defense for your computer. Kaspersky watches for unwanted adware, dialers, rootkits, remote access utilities and locks specific registry keys that malicious code may target to damage your computer. Furthermore, Kaspersky now includes protection from viruses while using IM and ICQ.
Kaspersky, in its ever-vigilance against viruses and other malware, now helps you create a rescue disc in the case that your computer is hit by some malicious code that makes your system unbootable. Although this effort to prepare users for the computer equivalent of Armageddon is commendable, the process is tedious and difficult. If you downloaded your operating system or the system disc is lost or unavailable, this feature will be unavailable to you.
Ease of Installation:
Kaspersky is among the easiest pieces of antivirus software to install. Its rather compact 50MB file downloads quickly and installation and activation are a snap. After rebooting, Kaspersky was on the job protecting our test computer. One complaint is that Kaspersky did not automatically remove the antivirus software already on the test computer. This is bound to lead to problems with the average user. Invariably, some will unknowingly end up running two antivirus programs and problems will ensue. With two antivirus packages running, computers run more slowly and error messages become an issue. On a positive note, Kaspersky does come with its own uninstall utility and after running it, no traces of it were found still in the registry. Some of the other antivirus manufacturers should take note: How much confidence can customers have in you, if you don't even know how to completely remove your own software?
Help/Support:
Software should be intuitive and easy to use, and if you still have a question, the software manufacturer should have excellent help/support to resolve your issues quickly and easily. Software should not be a source of stress, but instead, should make your life easier and simpler. When a question does arise, Kaspersky has devoted adequate resources to address them. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 provides context-sensitive in-program help files. This is a great idea, and some of the other software developers should do likewise. In addition, there are active user forums and FAQs available online. Finally, you can email or call a toll free number for live technical support.
Summary:
Kaspersky is among the best antivirus software packages on the market today. It’s highly effective, has a great interface, and it’s easy on computer resources. Kaspersky is an excellent choice and was barely edged out by BitDefender, receiving the “TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award.”
Article Source: TopTenReviews

AntiVirus Software Review "BitDefender"

2009-07-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

BitDefender Antivirus BitDefender Antivirus offers comprehensive protection from viruses in an easy-to-use solution. Striking the perfect balance of powerful features and usability, BitDefender provides a unique security solution. BitDefender is a great antivirus solution in all regards, delivering the best in protection, performance, and price.

BitDefender Antivirus provides comprehensive protection, takes up little space on your computer, costs less and requires little maintenance. If you're a gamer you should consider the special GameSafe edition of BitDefender Antivirus. For workstation and server protection, consider BitDefender Small Office Security.

BitDefender Antivirus has all the right tools, but you may consider comparing it with other BitDefender software to be sure you have all the right components (virus, firewall, parental controls, backup...) that you need securely covered.

BitDefender Standout Features

Effective antivirus protection
Light footprint on your computer
Instant messaging encryption
Advanced heuristic protection

Ease of Use:

Most people want antivirus software they can install and forget and BitDefender does just that! In less than a half an hour, you can download, install, follow the prompts, re-boot your system and voilá, you're protected and can forget about viruses, trojans, spyware, worms, and malware. Nobody wants to spend time tweaking antivirus software when they could otherwise be getting work done or watching the latest videos on Youtube. We all want protection without the effort or expense and now we can have our cake and eat it too.

When tested right out of the box with the default setting, BitDefender did exactly what it was supposed to do. It scanned boot-up files, recently accessed files, packed files and incoming and outgoing emails. For those who want more aggressive protection, BitDefender can be enabled to scan HTTP blocks on port 80 and 443 for malicious ActiveX and JavaScript which is nice, but not necessary. Simple installation of the program using the default setting is recommended for the average user.

One of the best advancements in the latest version of BitDefender has been the increase in scanning speed. Softwin makes BitDefender capable of logging when files were last accessed, and if a clean file hasn’t been used since the last scan, BitDefender skips it. This has made scans much faster than they used to be, which is nice because scan speeds were BitDefender’s prior weakness.

Effectiveness:

You might think antivirus software that’s this easy to use and this inexpensive might not be as effective as products with bigger brand names and bigger price tags, but you would be wrong. AV-Test.org is among the most prestigious, independent research laboratories in the world for testing antivirus software. In recent tests, BitDefender received their highest rating for having removed 98% of all viruses and spyware in their rigorous tests. In addition, BitDefender has received the highest ratings for effectiveness by Virus Bulletin (VB100%) and AV Comparatives.org, and was certified by ICSA, Checkvir.com and West Coast Labs for its ability to detect viruses and virus replication while minimizing false positives (detecting viruses that are not there).

One of the key features BitDefender has developed is a virtual machine that runs invisibly in the background on your computer where it tests suspicious code, which is code that looks like a virus but doesn't currently match any of the known virus signatures. In this way, BitDefender can protect your computer from viruses no one has reported yet. In the same tests by AV-Test.org, BitDefender scored higher than Kaspersky, Norton, Computer Associates (CA) and McAfee on its proactive detection of viruses and other malware with this heuristic approach. BitDefender scans somewhat slower than some of its competitors, due (we believe) to this virtual machine running. Naturally, there's going to be a price for this type of protection, but other products like ESET's NOD32 have done a better job at minimizing it.

Although BitDefender is great at removing viruses and spyware, it excels at protecting your system from incoming viruses. The new BitDefender can actually strip viruses from your incoming HTML stream before the virus makes it to your browser. We think every new computer should be outfitted with this kind of protection.

Updates:

Virus signatures need to be updated regularly to maintain overall effectiveness. The heart and soul of antivirus software is recognizing malicious code and BitDefender does that primarily by matching code on your computer with known virus signatures.

BitDefender updates its virus signatures every hour unless you adjust it to a longer interval. Or if you are really into managing your antivirus software (does your photo appear in Wikipedia under the listing geek?), you can set it to “manual” and manually update the virus signatures and decide what other features you want updated. Otherwise, just sit back and know that your BitDefender is updating itself every hour, 24/7.

Feature Set:

In the spirit of “install and forget” software, BitDefender doesn't go in for the blinking red and green lights to notify you of its activity. Instead, a tiny red and black icon appears in the lower-right corner of your desktop, just above the system tray. This unobtrusive icon is the scan activity monitor. A green line indicates when files are being scanned for viruses and spyware. You can remove the monitor by going into the configuration settings.

The antispyware section of BitDefender includes Privacy Protection. This feature is disabled by default, but turning this feature ON is recommended. In the Advanced Setting link, you can enter your credit card numbers or other private information, and if any Windows application attempts to send these over the Internet, it stops and requires your active permission. Otherwise, BitDefender will refuse any program that attempts to send your personal information over the Internet.

BitDefender is the only antivirus software reviewed with a gamer mode. With gamer mode enabled, online gamers are protected without sacrificing much performance. Since online gamers are notorious for disabling firewalls and other protection to optimize performance, this could be a lifesaver for the family computer used for online gaming by members of your household.

Ease of Installation:

Here is where BitDefender really shines. Installation is easy and intuitive. BitDefender also easily and transparently removes any other antivirus software you might have on your computer. This is a requirement for effective use of your computer after installation. Two antivirus packages on your system do not give you twice as much protection, but rather play havoc with performance and diminish protection.

Bit Defender uses about 60MB of hard disk space (new computers average about 200GB hard drive so it uses about .03% of your hard drive space), which is more than Kaspersky and NOD32, but about 1/3 of the space required for Norton AntiVirus.

Help/Support:

BitDefender does its job without you having to fuss or tinker with it. BitDefender is much like your car or phone, ready when you are. It works without you having to. You can rest assured, though, in the rare case when you may need some help, BitDefender offers good live support either over the phone or through live chat online.

Previously, BitDefender phone support required you to fork out money for a long-distance call to Europe. But the manufacturer, Softwin, has since issued a FREE phone support line for you to use (1-888-868-1873), making it cheaper and easier to get support when you need it.

For common issues, BitDefender offers a FAQs page. BitDefender can also be reached via email at support@bitdefender.com, and they have been very prompt and effective in answering questions.

Summary:

BitDefender is nearly everything you’ll want in easy-to-use, highly-effective antivirus and antispyware software. When BitDefender upgrades their tech support and improves their uninstall utility, they will have a nearly perfect product.

BitDefender received the “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” as the top antivirus software for its consistent high performance in protecting your computer, ease of use and installation. BitDefender is highly effective and offers tremendous value without making a dent in your pocketbook. For superior performance, protection, and price, we recommend BitDefender Antirvirus 2009.

Review Source: Top Ten Reviews

5 Ways to Protect Your PC from Computer Viruses

2009-07-13T02:32:00.000-07:00

Computer Viruses appear in many different forms namely, viruses, spyware, botnets, worms, Trojan horses, malware that will keep attacking your PC if you do not take proper preventative measures. Here are some cautionary measures that you can try implementing:

It has been observed that if your PC has the operating system of a popular make, there are greater chances of it getting infected by one of the viruses mentioned above. The reason is very simple. More and more people buy operating systems from popular manufacturers and by infecting these operating systems the hackers can expect to make huge profits. This is not to convey that the operating systems from lesser-known manufacturers are spared by the hackers. However, the chances are very less. Hence you should choose an operating system that suits the above-discussed criterion for your PC.

If a manufacturer is offering a version of the operating system with a higher software security feature, you should upgrade the operating system of your PC with that version of the OS, even though it might prove to be expensive. Some of the new generation operating systems come with the best anti virus features available. Some of the Operating systems come with free anti virus software with which you can do a free anti virus scan. Some of the word-processing software also offer file saving formats that support viral immunity for the file.

You should not ignore any updates that your installed anti virus software notifies you about and install them without any delay. This is because in the time interval between the release of an update and its downloading and installation, the hackers develop a virus software that infects your computer. Hence it is imperative for you to be smarter than the hackers and download the antivirus software update before they can harm your computer.

Many people guard their PCs from computer viruses only but there are other computer viruses that need to be combated against. One of those is the spyware that leaks out vital information on your standalone PC to the entire Internet community. Spyware removal should be done by using the appropriate remedial applications. You should also take care to keep your computer updated with the current versions of the anti virus programs because otherwise even the most efficient of these remedial applications are rendered useless, however powerful they might be in their earlier versions. It is to be borne in mind that, unfortunately, the cyber community has some sadistic programmers who dedicatedly make malignant code to destroy the data on your PC.

If you are a heavy user of the Internet, you should take care of certain issues. You should not open mail messages from strangers, as the best antivirus programs on your PC may not be able to detect a virus that enters your PC like an uninvited guest. Another protective devise is keeping your computer turned off or at least disconnected from the Internet network, at least during the night; because this is the time the nocturnal software security destroyers make visits.

Article Source: http://www.antivirusremedies.com/best-5-ways.html

Trojan Virus is Bad News. By Sturat Mitchel

2009-07-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last year my computer was one of the first to get hit by a new Trojan virus. We visited the wrong website or downloaded something that had the Trojan virus embedded into it. We almost lost our computer and everything in it. Thank goodness we back up our computer every night. The Trojan virus was so new that our computer anti-virus security did not know how to fight it. We actually had to contact the people who produced our anti-virus security software and provided us with daily updates. We gave them access and control of our computer. They managed to lock down the virus, stopping it from affecting out computer any further.

They immediately set about sending out an update that would simply block this virus from infecting other computers using their anti-virus security. They let us know that our computer would be infected for a bit, but that it was contained and would not be able to do any more damage. Once they had found a way to kill the virus they would send us an update and that would clean our system.

The Trojan we got hit with was designed to damage our computer. It was programmed to destroy data. There are other types of Trojans. Some are programmed to give a third party remote access to your computer. This is considered a remote administration Trojan. This can be to see your information or just to mess around with it. It is often used to steal passwords or change the victim's registry. As well as upload, download, execute files and more. Scary thought is that they can actually turn on a web cam and see what you are doing anytime.

A downloader/dropper is one that whole purpose is to download a different program onto your computer.

Usually a remote administration Trojan program is what they download to your computer. A server Trojan creates a file server on the victim's computer. This lets the hacker upload or download files. A server Trojan is often used to upload a remote administration Trojan, giving control of your computer to the hacker. Another type of Trojan used to do this is one designed to disable security software. It lets the hacker get in past your security, usually with the intent to download a remote administration program.

There is one unusual type of Trojan going around. The purpose is not to destroy your data or to get control of your computer to get your information. No it is about getting control of your and many other computers so that at a specific time they all attach a third parties computer. This was done to yahoo.com not that long ago.

Sturat enjoys writing articles on topics like Trojan Virus and Trojan Virus.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sturat_Mitchel

How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Adware, Spyware and Hackers

2009-07-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

Spyware/adware is a new major concern for PC users everywhere. Infecting your computer silently (usually installed with programs that seem harmless), spyware and adware can collect personal information about you, as well as cause pop up ads to come up all of the time, changing your browsers home page, sometimes even completely disabling your computer's usability.

This article will show you how to protect yourself against harmful spyware / adware, as well as how to remove current infections, and how to protect yourself from viruses, hackers and other general "malware".

The first thing you can do, if you're an Internet Explorer user, is consider making a switch to the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Firefox can do everything that Internet Explorer can do, and much, much more. Plus it is almost completely spyware "proof", and is much more stable and secure than Internet Explorer. You can go to getfirefox.com for more information.

Next, you'll want to keep your computer up-to-date. To do so, you'll want to download all available updates from windowsupdate.microsoft.com (if you use Firefox, you will need to fire up IE to do this since Microsoft doesn't like people to use other browsers, so they have "banned" Firefox from accessing Windows updates).

Now that you've got a secure browser and have Windows up to date, it's time to talk about the anti-spyware software. The following is a list of the top three players in the free anti-spyware software game:

Spybot Search & Destroy Download from: safer-networking.org If you're only going to download one program, get this. Spybot is known as the king of spyware removal - and is completely free, ran buy a guy who volunteers his free time to keeping Spybot up to date.

Lavasoft's Ad-Aware Download from: lavasoftusa.com Ad-Aware is technically a for-profit program, but they have a freeware version of their paid software, which is just as good, in my opinion. It picks up a few things that Spybot misses, so it's good to run both.

Microsoft's Newly Released Anti-Spyware Downlaod from: microsoft.com Not a must-have if you have the above two programs, but it actually is a pretty good program, especially considering it's a Microsoft product. Might as well have it around to pick up anything the other two might have missed.

Take all of the programs that you have chosen to use, download, and install them. Then, one at a time, update each program, run them, and remove anything that they found. This should effectively remove any active spyware or adware on your system.

Now that you have spyware removed, you'll need hacker and virus protection. To keep hackers out, you will need to install a solid firewall. You can either use the old built in with Windows XP, or download a third-party one.

To activate Windows XP's built in firewall, follow these easy steps: Click the Start button, and open up the Control Panel. Open "Network Connections" (or "Network and Internet Connections", then "Network Connections" if you're using the category view). If you're using broadband, or another form of connection through a LAN, right click on Local Area Connection (or the appropriate network connection), and select Properties. Click on the advanced tab, and click on Settings. Select "On", and don't select "Don't allow exceptions". Click OK on all windows to close.

If you would like to download a third-party firewall, Kerio Technologies has a great personal firewall that you can use. It can be found at kerio.com/kpf_home.html.

Grisoft offers a great freeware antivirus program called AVG Free. It is a great alternative to the common commercial antivirus software designed to milk you for more cash with their "update subscription" fees. Updates to AVG are 100%% free, forever. AVG can be downloaded from grisoft.com.

To keep your system completely secure, be sure to scan for viruses, spyware and check for Windows updates every week or so. By taking these simple steps, your computer is now many times more secure and less likely to leak out personal information or get a malware infection.

About the Author & Publisher

What is a Trojan Horse Virus?

2009-07-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

A Trojan Horse Virus is a common yet difficult to remove computer threat. This is a type of virus that attempts to make the user think that it is a beneficial application.

A Trojan Horse virus works by hiding within a set of seemingly useful software programs. Once executed or installed in the system, this type of virus will start infecting other files in the computer.

A Trojan Horse Virus is also usually capable of stealing important information from the user's computer. It will then send this information to Internet servers designated by the developer of the virus. The developer will then be able to gain a level of control over the computer through this Trojan virus. While these things take place, the user will notice that the infected computer has become very slow or unexpected windows pop up without any activity from the user. Later on, this will result to a computer crash.

A Trojan Horse virus can spread in a number of ways. The most common means of infection is through email attachments. The developer of the virus usually uses various spamming techniques in order to distribute the virus to unsuspecting users.

These emails contain attachments. Once the user opens the attachment, the Trojan Horse Virus immediately infects the system and performs the tasks mentioned above.

Another method used by malware developers to spread their Trojan Horse viruses is via chat software such as Yahoo Messenger and Skype. Another method used by this virus in order to infect other machines is through sending copies of itself to the people in the address book of a user whose computer has already been infected by the virus.

The best way to prevent a Trojan Horse Virus from entering and infecting your computer is to never open email attachments or files that have been sent by unknown senders. However, not all files we can receive are guaranteed to be virus-free. With this, a good way of protecting your PC against malicious programs such as this harmful application is to install and update an antivirus program.

Article Source: TECH FAQ

How does anti-virus software work?

2009-07-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

An anti-virus software program is a computer program that can be used to scan files to identify and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software (malware).

Anti-virus software typically uses two different techniques to accomplish this:

Examining files to look for known viruses by means of a virus dictionary
Identifying suspicious behavior from any computer program which might indicate infection

Most commercial anti-virus software uses both of these approaches, with an emphasis on the virus dictionary approach.

Virus dictionary approach

In the virus dictionary approach, when the anti-virus software examines a file, it refers to a dictionary of known viruses that have been identified by the author of the anti-virus software. If a piece of code in the file matches any virus identified in the dictionary, then the anti-virus software can then either delete the file, quarantine it so that the file is inaccessible to other programs and its virus is unable to spread, or attempt to repair the file by removing the virus itself from the file.

To be successful in the medium and long term, the virus dictionary approach requires periodic online downloads of updated virus dictionary entries. As new viruses are identified "in the wild", civically minded and technically inclined users can send their infected files to the authors of anti-virus software, who then include information about the new viruses in their dictionaries.

Dictionary-based anti-virus software typically examines files when the computer's operating system creates, opens, and closes them; and when the files are e-mailed. In this way, a known virus can be detected immediately upon receipt. The software can also typically be scheduled to examine all files on the user's hard disk on a regular basis.

Although the dictionary approach is considered effective, virus authors have tried to stay a step ahead of such software by writing "polymorphic viruses", which encrypt parts of themselves or otherwise modify themselves as a method of disguise, so as to not match the virus's signature in the dictionary.

Suspicious behavior approach

The suspicious behavior approach, by contrast, doesn't attempt to identify known viruses, but instead monitors the behavior of all programs. If one program tries to write data to an executable program, for example, this is flagged as suspicious behavior and the user is alerted to this, and asked what to do.

Unlike the dictionary approach, the suspicious behavior approach therefore provides protection against brand-new viruses that do not yet exist in any virus dictionaries. However, it also sounds a large number of false positives, and users probably become desensitized to all the warnings. If the user clicks "Accept" on every such warning, then the anti-virus software is obviously useless to that user. This problem has especially been made worse over the past 7 years, since many more nonmalicious program designs chose to modify other .exes without regards to this false positive issue. Thus, most modern anti virus software uses this technique less and less.

Other ways to detect viruses

Some antivirus-software will try to emulate the beginning of the code of each new executable that is being executed before transferring control to the executable. If the program seems to be using self-modifying code or otherwise appears as a virus (it immeadeatly tries to find other executables), one could assume that the executable has been infected with a virus. However, this method results in a lot of false positives.

Yet another detection method is using a sandbox. A sandbox emulates the operating system and runs the executable in this simulation. After the program has terminated, the sandbox is analysed for changes which might indicate a virus. Because of performance issues this type of detection is normally only performed during on-demand scans.

Issues of concern

Macro viruses, arguably the most destructive and widespread computer viruses, could be prevented far more inexpensively and effectively, and without the need of all users to buy anti-virus software, if Microsoft would fix security flaws in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office related to the execution of downloaded code and to the ability of document macros to spread and wreak havoc.

User education is as important as anti-virus software; simply training users in safe computing practices, such as not downloading and executing unknown programs from the Internet, would slow the spread of viruses, without the need of anti-virus software.

Computer users should not always run with administrator access to their own machine. If they would simply run in user mode then some types of viruses would not be able to spread.

The dictionary approach to detecting viruses is often insufficient due to the continual creation of new viruses, yet the suspicious behavior approach is ineffective due to the false positive problem; hence, the current understanding of anti-virus software will never conquer computer viruses.

There are various methods of encrypting and packing malicious software which will make even well-known viruses undetectable to anti-virus software. Detecting these "camouflaged" viruses requires a powerful unpacking engine, which can decrypt the files before examining them. Unfortunately, many popular anti-virus programs do not have this and thus are often unable to detect encrypted viruses.

Companies that sell anti-virus software seem to have a financial incentive for viruses to be written and to spread, and for the public to panic over the threat.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Anti-virus software".

How to remove a computer virus and protect your computer.

2009-07-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

How to remove a computer virus:

Even for an expert, removing a computer virus can be a difficult task without the help of computer virus removal tools. Some computer viruses and other unwanted software, such as spyware, even reinstall themselves after the viruses have been detected and removed. Fortunately, by updating the computer and by using antivirus tools, you can help permanently remove unwanted software.

To remove a computer virus, follow these steps:

Install the latest updates from Microsoft Update on the computer.
Update the antivirus software on the computer. Then, perform a thorough scan of the computer by using the antivirus software.
Download, install, and then run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool to remove existing viruses on the computer. To download the Malicious Software Removal Tool, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

For more information about how to remove a computer virus, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/remove.mspx

How to protect your computer against viruses:

To protect your computer against viruses, follow these steps:

On the computer, turn on the firewall.
Keep the computer operating system up-to-date.
Use updated antivirus software on the computer.
Use updated antispyware software on the computer.

For more information about how to protect a computer against viruses, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/default.mspx

Article Source: Published By Microsoft

Symptoms of a computer virus

2009-07-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

If you suspect or confirm that your computer is infected with a computer virus, obtain the current antivirus software. The following are some primary indicators that a computer may be infected:

The computer runs slower than usual.
The computer stops responding, or it locks up frequently.
The computer crashes, and then it restarts every few minutes.
The computer restarts on its own. Additionally, the computer does not run as usual.
Applications on the computer do not work correctly.
Disks or disk drives are inaccessible.
You cannot print items correctly.
You see unusual error messages.
You see distorted menus and dialog boxes.
There is a double extension on an attachment that you recently opened, such as a .jpg, .vbs, .gif, or .exe. extension.
An antivirus program is disabled for no reason. Additionally, the antivirus program cannot be restarted.
An antivirus program cannot be installed on the computer, or the antivirus program will not run.
New icons appear on the desktop that you did not put there, or the icons are not associated with any recently installed programs.
Strange sounds or music plays from the speakers unexpectedly.
A program disappears from the computer even though you did not intentionally remove the program.

Note These are common signs of infection. However, these signs may also be caused by hardware or software problems that have nothing to do with a computer virus. Unless you run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, and then you install industry-standard, up-to-date antivirus software on your computer, you cannot be certain whether a computer is infected with a computer virus or not.

Symptoms of worms and trojan horse viruses in e-mail messages

When a computer virus infects e-mail messages or infects other files on a computer, you may notice the following symptoms:

The infected file may make copies of itself. This behavior may use up all the free space on the hard disk.
A copy of the infected file may be sent to all the addresses in an e-mail address list.
The computer virus may reformat the hard disk. This behavior will delete files and programs.
The computer virus may install hidden programs, such as pirated software. This pirated software may then be distributed and sold from the computer.
The computer virus may reduce security. This could enable intruders to remotely access the computer or the network.
You receive an e-mail message that has a strange attachment. When you open the attachment, dialog boxes appear, or a sudden degradation in system performance occurs.
Someone tells you that they have recently received e-mail messages from you that contained attached files that you did not send. The files that are attached to the e-mail messages have extensions such as .exe, .bat, .scr, and .vbs extensions.

Symptoms that may be the result of ordinary Windows functions

A computer virus infection may cause the following problems:

Windows does not start even though you have not made any system changes or even though you have not installed or removed any programs.
There is frequent modem activity. If you have an external modem, you may notice the lights blinking frequently when the modem is not being used. You may be unknowingly supplying pirated software.
Windows does not start because certain important system files are missing. Additionally, you receive an error message that lists the missing files.
The computer sometimes starts as expected. However, at other times, the computer stops responding before the desktop icons and the taskbar appear.
The computer runs very slowly. Additionally, the computer takes longer than expected to start.
You receive out-of-memory error messages even though the computer has sufficient RAM.
New programs are installed incorrectly.
Windows spontaneously restarts unexpectedly.
Programs that used to run stop responding frequently. Even if you remove and reinstall the programs, the issue continues to occur.
A disk utility such as Scandisk reports multiple serious disk errors.
A partition disappears.
The computer always stops responding when you try to use Microsoft Office products.
You cannot start Windows Task Manager.
Antivirus software indicates that a computer virus is present.

Note These problems may also occur because of ordinary Windows functions or problems in Windows that are not caused by a computer virus.

Article Source:Published by Microsoft

Why Some People Write Computer Viruses

2009-06-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

Computer viruses do not just show up out of the clear blue sky, someone has to actually sit down and write the codes for the virus and then test them to make sure that the virus spreads correctly and then they have to spread it. The person also has to decide in which manner they intend to spread the message, in other words, what creative message they will include with the virus to get the best results from people responding to the catchy phrase that is included in on it. It is a completely intentional act.

The real problem is trying to determine why they do this and what motivates them. It must give the virus writers an immense thrill sort of like when someone throws a big brick off of an expressway via dock and waits for it to land on someone’s passing car. Maybe it fills the same void that one gets when they set another persons garage on fire and just watch it burn from a distance. These types of people just get a “high” from creating destruction.

Another reason that people write viruses is because they want to be able to just claim that they did it. Kind of like when you were a kid and rode your bike no handed for the first time. Look what I did! When people have the know how and the ability to do so it is possible that if they see a flaw in the security they may just manipulate that hole themselves just because they can. Rather than bringing it to the attention of someone else and getting the security hole corrected, they may decide just for the heck of it to turn that hole into a virus and spread it all over.

Many virus writers would never hurt a person, they just like to manipulate the system, and they think it is fun. What they do not realize is that they are hurting many people along the way. When people have their computer hard drives wiped out by a virus, that creates damage and if it is done in corporations, the effects magnify as they stand to lose thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess and in addition, they will likely lose man hours too. Thankfully, law enforcement officials are making the laws much stricter and are able to identify many of these people now. Not too many years ago, the laws were lax and too many people were getting away with writing viruses as they were no strict cyber laws in place.

Not until the late 80’s were home computer systems even prominent and then they were being used in homes, businesses, and colleges. Then games and word processing was a big deal. Back then users could dial up a “bulletin board” with a modem and download many different games and different programs. It was during the time of the bulletin board era that the Trojan horse virus was created. People would hear about it or read about it and then obviously download it. Resulting in a complete erase of their system. That was caught pretty quickly and word of mouth helped stop that guy right in his tracks.

Article source: http://www.topantivirussoftwarereviews.com/why-some-people-write-computer-viruses/

What is a computer virus?

2009-06-09T01:55:00.000-07:00

Computer Virus.

Published: October 23, 2006 | Updated: November 18, 2008

Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation.

A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk.

Viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open e-mail attachments unless you know who it's from and you are expecting it.

Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files.

Viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in illicit software or other files or programs you might download.

To help avoid viruses, it's essential that you keep your computer current with the latest updates and antivirus tools, stay informed about recent threats, and that you follow a few basic rules when you surf the Internet, download files, and open attachments.

Once a virus is on your computer, its type or the method it used to get there is not as important as removing it and preventing further infection.

Article Source - Published by Microsoft