Jim Haynes eBooks and Articles

Here is a simple reminder and introduction to the dangers of viruses, malware and trojans on your computer. Due to the covert nature of these types of software, a user typically should have a layered defense to help protect themselves from these kind of attacks. Basically you have to remember to keep up with your operating system patches and updates, keep all of your software updated and make sure to keep your copy of your antivirus or security software up to date in order to be one step ahead of the dangers on the Internet.

Spyware has become a generic term that also includes adware, malware and many trojans. Such programs usually have inter-related behavior and features and are commonly referred to as spyware. Most spyware can be broken up into two major groups which are adware and malware. All spyware are rogue software programs that typically install themselves without a user’s knowledge. You can get infected with spyware, malware and other malicious programs just by visiting a website. Many spyware experts have noted that no one anti-spyware product catches all malware and spyware. That’s why some spyware appears so invincible.

Malware and the people who write them typically focus on the most popular operating system, which is currently that of Microsoft’s Windows Operating System but even Apple’s Macintosh Operating System is susceptible to viruses these days. One of the first signs of malware is the slowing down and lack of responsiveness by your computer but do not become alarmed right away. Other reasons for computer sluggishness might be a hard drive that is starting to get full or you might need to run a disk de-fragmentation program.

Trojans take their name from the term ‘Trojan Horse’ which dates back to Greek history and the war between Troy and Sparta. It spreads itself by posing as legitimate software. The term Trojan has usually been used to refer to malware that performs unexpected or unauthorized actions. Their danger is in causing damage to networks by delivering other types of malware. The trojan malware can record web browser form data to capture online banking credentials and send the stolen data to the author of the program for example.

In conclusion, we have seen that malware is short for malicious software and a catch all phrase for viruses, worms, adware, spyware and trojans. Having said all of this however, hope is not lost. There are many trust worthy, reliable programs out there from various vendors such as Prevx, McAfee, Symantec and even Microsoft is pushing their own product.