Viruses: A Simple and Comprehensive Guide

Viruses, Malwares, Spywares, all kind of "wares" are out there on the loose in the wild Worldwide Web. It's our responsibility to keep them off of our computers, PDAs, cell phones, even Ipods are at the mercy of them. But how can we become 100% sure that our data is secured and that every time we want to buy something online we know it's ok to do it? How can we make sure our private data is not being compromised? And how about those names Malwares/Spywares? Which viruses are bad and which aren't?

Let's start with the basics. I've decided to help my OA community friends with a complete guide for security. Now, bear in mind that it is such a dynamic and fast paced situation that by the time I am done there might be hundreds and hundreds more of them out there. But I will try my best to cover all aspects of Anti-Viruses the simple way. Also, I will give you some hints on how to detect if your computer is infected and what free tools to use in the case it is.

Let's get started!

What is a Virus?

A virus is just a program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user (which in this case is us). Viruses are applications like the ones we use on a daily basis designed with a purpose. This purpose ranges from making your computer unusable, changing the colors of your screen without your knowledge, capturing information like browsing history, credit cards, and so on.

To protect our PCs, a plethora of companies developed what is called an Anti-Virus which does exactly what it represents: it finds the piece of software that is creating havoc in our PCs and removes it, thus allowing us to het back to business in no time.

Am I Protected?

When was the last time you updated your virus definitions on your computer? What kind of anti-virus software do you have? Do you even have an anti-virus installed on your PC?

As new viruses keep popping up around the web, anti-viruses applications need updates to keep them effective against the latest threats.
The first step is to check what kind of anti-virus, if any, is installed on your computer and the first place to look at is your taskbar:

This is my taskbar and you can find yours at the bottom right corner of your Windows PC.

The best way to find out if you have an Anti-Virus application installed is to look for it here. Mine is that little cardio-electro gram looking icon in the middle.

Here are a few icons that you can look for and their respective vendors:

If you found yours, Congratulations! You can proceed to "What's Next" below. But if you did not find the application, you do not have an anti-virus installed, so please keep reading on.

Do I need an Anti-Virus?

Yes and now more than ever. Viruses can be inserted into your system while you browse a webpage, look at photos online, install new software, etc. There are too many variables that can cause your computer to get them so be safe and install it today. One of my personal favorites is Symantec Endpoint. This application was meant to be installed in corporate environments so it is extremely reliable and fast. The price is perfect at $50+ dollars for a year of updates and support. Its simplistic way of working back and forth with your system is amazing so you don't waste performance while it works in the background. If you don't have one please go and get one today!

What is a Malware?

Malware is just another word for a virus but it is more common in network service disruptions. In short words Malwares are a compilation of viruses, worms and spyware combined.

What is a Spyware?

Now, with spyware we do have a complete new term. This is a piece of software that it is catalogued as a virus but it has one sole purpose which is to secretly collect information about us while we navigate the internet via our browsers. Normally, they work to capture your key strokes in your keyboard while you are surfing the internet in order to get credit card numbers, site logins, email addresses, etc.

Spywares are hard to remove and once removed we need to make sure they are gone for good. A strong Anti-Virus solution will definitely give you the edge needed to keep them at bay, but please use the following recommendations to ensure safety while browsing.

1. Clear your temporary files: While we browse, our computer wants to remember every page we look at for faster loading later, but this is a feature that can be turned off easily. If you are using Internet Explorer 7, follow these steps:

Go to Tools in the top right side of the IE Explorer and click on "Internet Options"

Go to Browsing History and click on "Settings"

Mimic my settings here. This will ensure you are secured and the amount of Temporary files will be minimized.

And click "Ok." That's it for Temporary Files settings.

2. Disable Third Party Web Extensions: I am not a big fan of toolbars in my browser but that doesn't mean it's wrong to use them. I've seen a lot of people enjoying them and using them on a daily basis. But sometimes, toolbars appear out of nowhere and that is annoying. Since Spywares are also installed as toolbars that we don't recognize, this setting will eliminate the toolbars once and for all.
Go back to Tools in your Internet Explorer

Click in "Internet Options"

Click on the "Advanced Tab" at the top and un-check the "Enable third-party browser extensions"

This will disable that setting and now toolbars and other gadgets cannot be installed to your browser. Don't worry about important plug-ins since this setting does not affect those.

What's next?

Update, Update, Update. All Anti-virus solutions come with auto-updates that allow your application to seamlessly connect to the internet and download the latest fixes and patches so we can rest assured that the application will be ready when the latest virus tries to get in.

 

I Think I have a Virus...HELP!

Ok, you have a virus. Your computer is acting up and is not allowing you to open certain programs. Here are some steps to get your mind clear whenever you think there is a virus in your computer. This tool will also help to remove them:
Virus Checkup:

STEP 1: If you already have an anti-virus application, the first approach would be to start a full scan on your computer. This might take a while to complete but it is the first round of defense to apply when in fear of a virus. Please ensure that your application is up-to-date with the latest update.

STEP 2: If the virus is found, the application will guide you for its removal and you are good to go. If the scan came up clean, there might be the slight chance that you still have the virus inside your computer so to be sure let's put stinger to the test:

DOWNLOAD STINGER - Stinger is a free application that only removes a handful of the most aggressive and hard to find viruses. Proceed to download stinger and press scan now:

I personally love stinger because is free, fast and reliable. Keep this link close to you whenever you are in questioning, virus or friend?

STEP 3: After running your AV Full Scan and Stinger you should be good to go. Harder viruses to remove will be hoax applications that make you click on them and install them. Once installed, they create havoc.

POPUP CALL TO ACTION VIRUSES

New viruses masked as windows pop-ups are very common these days and they are very hard to remove. Sometimes they cause so much damage that it's not even worth it trying to remove them so you are forced to back up all your data and your system needs to be reformatted or deleted.
Make it a rule that if you are browsing the internet and you see one of these, DO NOT click yes. Windows XP and any other version of Windows does not offer a built-in anti-virus application so system messages and windows like this one would not make sense. This is definitely a virus asking for permission to be installed on your system! It took the permission from the web to bring this popup disguised as a real one you would get from your Windows system. So please DO NOT click YES. Got it?

Here are some examples:

The list keeps growing and growing but when in doubt always say NO.

Final Thoughts

Hope you have enjoyed this walkthrough and that I gave you more knowledge on how to avoid viruses. Who knows how many of them I've had in the past for not following what I have mentioned here to you today. Enjoy a productive day in the office and at home clear of viruses.

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