Virus, Spyware, Adware, Trojan Horse, Malware

Day two:
I have attached a few definitions of some common computer infections. Some of these are just annoying while others are nasty. In my opinion, your best chance to avoid these is to:

• Keep your anti-virus & other protection programs up to date
• Don't open any e-mails / attachments from senders you don't know
• Don't download anything from the web that you are unsure of
• Don't frequent questionable websites and on-line game sites
• Don't leave your computer logged into a website and walk away for extended periods of time.
• Be careful when installing programs or copies of programs from "friends."

Even after adhering to these guidelines, you still get something, don't panic not all is lost. Unless you feel comfortable "treating" the infection yourself, seek help from someone that has an idea of what they are doing. Again these are my opinions, but I follow these and with God's watchful eye, I have only had one bad virus in my eight years of "serious" computer experience. The aforementioned virus was from someone else using my computer to play an on-line game. It took me two days to clean-up my system. Needless to say, NO ONE uses my computer unless I know what they are doing. On the right hand side of this page, under the "About Me" section, you will find links to my favorite computer protection sites. Not saying any of these are perfect, but I have had good experiences with them. You are free to try your own.


Computer Virus:
A program that enters a computer (usually without the knowledge of the operator). Some viruses are mild, and only cause messages to appear on the screen, but others are destructive and can wipe out the computer's memory or even cause more severe damage.Computer viruses spread from machine to machine on disks and through telephone lines.


Spyware:
Software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Often quickly installed in your computer in combination with a free download you selected from the Web, spyware transmits information in the background as you move around the Web. Also known as "parasite software," "scumware," "junkware" and "thiefware," spyware is occasionally installed just by visiting a Web site (see drive-by download). The license agreement that everyone accepts without reading may actually state that you are installing spyware and explain what it does. For example, it might say that the program performs anonymous profiling, which means that your habits are being recorded, not you individually. Such software is used to create marketing profiles; for example, people who go to Web site "A" often go to site "B" and so on. Spyware may deliver competing products in real time. For example, if you go to a Web page and look for a minivan, an ad for a competitor's vehicle might pop up (see adware).

Adware:
(ADvertisementWARE) Software that periodically pops up advertisements on a user's computer. It displays ads targeted to the individual user based on key words entered in search engines and the types of Web sites the user visits. The marketing data are collected periodically and sent in the background to the adware Web server. Adware is known as "contextual marketing."

Trojan Horse:
A malicious security-breaking program that is disguised as something benign, such as a directory lister, archiver, game, or (in one notorious 1990 case on the Mac) a program to find and destroy viruses! See back door, virus, worm, phage, mockingbird.

Malware:
(MALicious softWARE) Software designed to destroy, aggravate and otherwise make life unhappy. See malvertising, crimeware, virus, worm, logic bomb, macro virus and Trojan. Malicious computer software that interferes with normal computer functions or sends personal data about the user to unauthorized parties over the Internet.

* Definitions from www.answers.com