virus

A few years ago, it seemed like we would hear about a new virus threatening to hijack computers around the globe every week. Though it may feel like we're out of the woods these days, it is probably only because many users and companies are now much more aware of potential threats than they used to be. Even computer manufacturers have gotten the message and take more precautions by including some form of pre-installed protection. But when the limitations on these demos run out, it has been my experience that many people just hope for the best because of how little we hear about new threats. Of course, these are the same people who later call me up asking why their computers no longer work.

Even though we don't hear about as many threats in the news, there are just as many viruses out in the wild and some viruses have become even more destructive. At work, your company probably has an antivirus system that protects you from most new strains and an IT department that keeps it updated. At home you are the IT department, and if you want to keep your files safe, you have to remain vigilant.… Read more

Arnaldo's friend, a Mac user, is given his very first Windows PC. The friend knows nothing about Windows XP security, but that's not even his biggest problem.

The real trouble in this week's Spyware Horror Story begins when Arnaldo's soon-to-be-ex-friend decides to dabble in creating his own viruses--and gets slammed by a few of these malware leeches instead.

Find out what went wrong, what went right, and what not to do in "Boomerang virus."

Like worms that have attacked MSN Messenger, AOL IM and Yahoo Messenger in the recent past, a worm is currently attacking Skype IM users. From an infected machine, the virus known as either Ramex.a (Skype) or Pykspa.a (McAfee) or Skipi.a shoots messages with a live link to people on the infected machine's Skype contact list. A JPEG image within the message provides a download link to a file with the SCR extension. Recipients who click on the link are then infected.

Once installed, the worm injects bogus entries into the computer's HOSTS file so that … Read more

Excluding Firefox and its 400 million downloads and 120 million regular users, the days of a killer free application dominating hearts and minds are deader than Pets.com. Yet a single malware destroyer is what we're all hoping for, especially since malware and virus threats are as chameleonic as their intentions are devious.

Three antimalware applications have made it to the top of my list: Avira Antivir, AVG Anti-Spyware, and A-Squared Free.

… Read more

For some teens, the most horrific part of weathering a spyware storm is being separated from the computer until it's clean.

One dad seizes this as a disciplinary technique. A little time away from the Web could teach Junior some healthy fear of dangerous downloads and greater respect for the family PC.

Read all about it in "Crime and Punishment," this week's Spyware Horror Story.

Elise's malware situation is frightening, but it's not as scary as her father, whose closet quest for pornography and reckless viewing methods pile more and more adware onto Elise's personal PC. She confronts him when a PC repair tech reveals the truth of the infection. Things get ugly. Threats fly.

16-year-old Elise is left with a challenge: How do you confront someone whose user behavior is dangerous to your computer and family privacy--and whose real-life behavior is dangerous to you? This week's Spyware Horror Story, Vicious voyeur, may hold some clues.

Visit our Spyware Horror Story archives … Read more

Earlier I had a trilogy of postings about DropMyRights (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) that included the warning to run Microsoft Office applications in restricted mode in case a file (Word document, Excel spreadsheet, etc.) carried a virus or some other type of malicious software.

But what do you do if a Word document or Excel spreadsheet doesn't display or work properly when the application is run in restricted mode? A decision needs to be made whether to trust the file and open it in unrestricted mode.

If the file was sent to you by e-mail, you'… Read more

You're never too young or old to become a download fanatic--or a victim of online threats (just lay your peepers on our security glossary for an unsavory taste of what's out there.)

Some seniors, like my octogenarian grandma, keep their computer use simple with one trusty program that fulfills a basic need, minus extra frills. Others go wild with downloads and customizations for their desktop and browser. Find out how the 71-year-old dame of this week's Spyware Horror Story got her system into a pickle and how her neighbor's friend tried to pull her out in … Read more

As a computer tech, Jack's used to helping families evict unwanted malware.

What he's not used to is having to perform the same service three times in as many months for the same family. Is malware overpowering their defenses, or is the family relying too heavily on professional services as their safety net for chancy online behavior? Find out in this week's Spyware Horror Story.