What is Malware?

            In layman’s terms, Malware is basically a type of Spyware that is brought into your computer by visiting an infected website. These parasites are often in the form of Rouge Anti-virus programs. These Trojans will get into your computer and tell you that you have X number of viruses and that you need to “click here” to remove them. At this point, the fake software will most likely ask you to register the product and enter your credit card information. Be sure you do not enter and send any credit card information. Not only will you be charged whatever the fake vender wants to charge, but you will be left with a virus on your computer. If you receive one of these pop-ups on your computer, you are already infected and you should immediately do a scan with your anti-virus program.

            The next problem you may have is that your virus removal program may not start or update. This is usually because the infection has blocked the program from connecting with the system. The bad part is that now when you try to download any program that could help the computer, it most likely will be blocked as well. These programs will try to block almost any means that you use to try and help the computer.

            In addition to the individual rouge Trojans, you also may get infected with a root kit. Root kits are nasty bugs that are often an invasion on your personal data and they are often very difficult to remove. In fact, they may be impossible to remove and sometimes require a full reformat.

            Getting an infection is no picnic by any means. The first signs you will usually see is that your system has suddenly slowed down. Sometimes to a crawl. The second sign is when your browser takes you to different sites other then the ones you are trying to navigate to. This is known as a browser re-direct. The last and most obvious sign is when you find yourself with a security program that you never installed. At this point, you ARE infected and your system will require a complete clean up. Removing the virus yourself will be difficult at best so it is often a good idea to seek the help of a professional virus removal technician.

            Of course, the best way to keep an infection from getting the best of you is to prevent it in the first place. Using a good quality anti-virus program will certainly be a key in staying clean. We recommend CA anti-virus. We have been using it at our offices for years and have remained virus free as a result.

            In short, be vigilant on what sites you choose to navigate to, get a good quality anti-virus program and be sure to do regular scans on your system.  Happy computing everybody!