Dialers, Trojans, Viruses, and Worms Oh My! If
you use a computer, read the newspaper, or watch the news, you will
know about computer viruses or other malware. These are those malicious
programs that once they infect your machine will start causing havoc on
your computer. What many people do not know is that there are many
different types of infections that are categorized in the general
category of Malware.
Malware -
Malware is programming or files that are developed for the purpose of
doing harm. Thus, malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan
horses, spyware, hijackers, and certain type of adware.
This
article will focus on those malware that are considered viruses,
trojans, worms, and viruses, though this information can be used to
remove the other types of malware as well. We will not go into specific
details about any one particular infection, but rather provide a broad
overview of how these infections can be removed. For the most part
these instructions should allow you to remove a good deal of
infections, but there are some that need special steps to be removed
and these won't be covered under this tutorial.
Before we continue it is important to understand the generic malware terms that you will be reading about.
Adware -
A program that generates popups on your computer or displays
advertisements. It is important to note that not all adware programs
are necessarily considered malware. There are many legitimate programs
that are given for free that display ads in their programs in order to
generate revenue. As long as this information is provided up front then
they are generally not considered malware.
Backdoor -
A program that allows a remote user to execute commands and tasks on
your computer without your permission. These types of programs are
typically used to launch attacks on other computers, distribute
copyrighted software or media, or hack other computers.
Dialler -
A program that typically dials a premium rate number that has per
minute charges over and above the typical call charge. These calls are
with the intent of gaining access to pornographic material.
Hijackers -
A program that attempts to hijack certain Internet functions like
redirecting your start page to the hijacker's own start page,
redirecting search queries to a undesired search engine, or replace
search results from popular search engines with their own information.
Spyware -
A program that monitors your activity or information on your computer
and sends that information to a remote computer without your knowledge.
Trojan -
A program that has been designed to appear innocent but has been
intentionally designed to cause some malicious activity or to provide a
backdoor to your system.
Virus -
A program that when run, has the ability to self-replicate by infecting
other programs and files on your computer. These programs can have many
effects ranging from wiping your hard drive, displaying a joke in a
small box, or doing nothing at all except to replicate itself. These
types of infections tend to be localized to your computer and not have
the ability to spread to another computer on their own. The word virus
has incorrectly become a general term that encompasses trojans, worms,
and viruses.
Worm -
A program that when run, has the ability to spread to other computers
on its own using either mass-mailing techniques to email addresses
found on your computer or by using the Internet to infect a remote
computer using known security holes.