Free Removal of Computer Virus

Is your computer chugging along with a much reduced speed, and is it getting very difficult for you to log on to your favorite web page? Is your computer hard disk producing a lot of unnecessary noise that appears strange to you while running? If the answers are Yes to these questions, then you are probably the unfortunate victim of spyware infection!

Being infected by spyware can be a disaster because the performance of your computer is greatly reduced. Worst, spyware can include keyloggers, adware, trojans, browser hijackers, malware, adware and viruses.

In this article I will explain some of the most important factors you must consider when choosing an anti spyware software or a spyware removal software and the effectiveness of using free anti spyware removal programs available on the internet.

Free Anti Spyware versus Paid Anti Spyware Programs

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First, can I rely on a free anti spyware or a free adware remover software?

There are two main free spyware remover software available widely on the internet. One is a spybot that can identify spyware, and the other is an adware remover. They are pretty good in capturing most spyware that are commonly found on the internet. Note that I mention “most spyware”, not ALL the spyware. In fact, to prove this to myself, I performed an experiment.

When my computer showed signs of distress, and started to produce a lot of weird noises from the hard disk, I knew I have had some form of spyware lodged in my computer. I ran the first spybot anti spyware and that removed several spyware, some tracking cookies, a trojan and an attempt at a possible browser hijacking.

In order to determine whether all the spyware were removed, I ran the second free software program which was an adware removal software. I was not surprised to see that there were more undiscovered spyware and even a registry key modification performed without my knowledge.

Next I ran the third anti spyware which was a paid anti spyware software.This paid software captured another three more spyware which consisted of tracking cookies and a trojan left unidentified after running the two most popular free anti spyware program on the internet.

This simple experiment showed that the free spybot spyware remover and the free adware remover failed to completely remove all the common spyware. In my estimation, the two free anti spyware programs could identify and remove around 70% of the common spyware and adware when used one after the other, whereas a paid anti spyware program had to be run to ensure complete removal of all the spyware and adware.

Superior Features of Paid Anti Spyware Programs

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What separates a paid anti spyware program from a free spyware detector and removal program? The most important difference is that of the identification and removal algorithms and the constant updates to the anti spyware definitions that you can get from the paid anti spyware programs. Most Paid solutions post updates, almost daily, of the newly discovered spyware released into the internet to ensure their software is always up to date and effective against newly discovered spyware, keyloggers, malware, tojans and browser hijacking attempts.

You also get better support services from these paid spyware suppliers. An anti spyware software is of no use to you if you encounter a technical issue and you cannot get technical support readily to provide you with help on your problem.

Thirdly, when looking for a paid solution, you will also look at their customer service. This can be easily checked by looking at the comments and reviews of other users of the anti spyware program. A paid software company that provides superior customer service suggests that the company is serious about its reputation and its business, and will not be folding up their business anytime leaving you without any updates or customer service. In contrast, I have known of many freeware that are released without technical and customer support.

Unless your computer security, confidentiality and privacy is of no serious concern to you, you will need an anti spyware software that possesses a superior algorithm to identify and remove all the malware that lodges on your computer online. Having a paid anti spyware that updates frequently with superior technical and customer support will provide you with peace of mind that your computer is secured against malware, spyware, keyloggers, browser hijacking and also identify theft.

Be sure to read Part 2 of this article where I’ll show you the best anti spyware program to protect your computer against malicious spyware activity and how you can uncover hidden malware in your computer instantly.

Click Here For Part #2 or visit http://1anti-spyware.blogspot.com

Author: Peter Lim
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital TV, HDTV, Satellite TV

In the past few decades the term antivirus probably signified a new preventive measure that will keep people from being infected with a particular illness. In recent years, the phrase antivirus will only catch the attention of computer geeks. But if you enhance the phrase by mentioning antivirus trial, theres a good chance that you will catch the attention of the whole planet as well.

Computer viruses are propagating faster than their organic counterparts. These malevolent programs, which started out as innocent bits of codes written by some programmers with a sense of humor, have evolved into terrible tools that can damage even the most advance IT infrastructures. As a result, new antivirus programs are being written and introduced into the market all the time. But these antivirus programs are a little help in stopping all the known and as yet mutated versions of computer viruses.

This is where antivirus trial packages enter the computer market. When a prominent antivirus program manufacturer plans on releasing a new antivirus program into the market, the usual practice is to offer an antivirus trial for customers. This trial not only allows consumers to evaluate the program, but allows the more advanced costumers to test the program against several kinds of known and unknown viruses that plague cyberspace. In a few cases, they may even be able suggest certain changes that can improve the antivirus program.

An antivirus trial also enables existing antivirus packages manufacturers to lose a portion of their market. The conventional manufacturers like Norton or McAfee already control a big part of the market place. But their trials have an inherent flaw because they are only customized to cater to the demands of the broadest base of the market.

Some of the highly specialized industries require custom built antivirus programs that can address their specific needs. An antivirus trial is often geared to give these exclusive costumers a taste of the capabilities of the new antivirus program before building the entire package. Think of this sort of antivirus trial as random samples or evaluation versions that enable costumers to isolate and demand developments in the particular fields that affect their businesses.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Antivirus Trial. Visit our site for more helpful information about Antivirus Trial and other similar topics.

Author: Morgan Hamilton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

Spam or unwanted / junk email is an attempt to force a message on recipients who often will choose not to receive it. It is flooding the Internet with commercial advertising on dubious products. Is anti spam software a solution to solve the problem?

Spam has become a worldwide problem and is expected to increase exponentially over the next few years, as regulations of spam through legislation have been mostly ineffective and slow. To put it in another way, we may say that the numbers of spamming methods have increased and improved over time and legislators have had a hard time to handle them. However, we can counteract this by installing an anti spam software in conjunction with an anti-virus software as well as internet security software into our computers. We can also learn how to fight against it at various anti-spam websites.

Anti spam software is a program that filters out spam email. It is an easy and powerful way to stop unwanted email. Most anti-spam software works at the network level, that is, protecting the user’s inbox from spam before it even reaches the computer. The anti-spam software uses fuzzy logic and filtering to analyze each email as it arrives and warns the user if it is suspected to be junk mail.

Most anti-spam software also allows the user to preview the unwanted mail before deleting them. The user is able to deal with it effectively before the mail gets to the computer.

Some anti spam software can even be programmed to adapt to the user’s personal preferences by learning the kind of email the user wants to receive. This intelligent software uses advanced learning filters to deliver an efficient approach in solving the problems of the user.

The unique up-to-date system of the anti-spam software ensures that the user is protected against the latest spam threats. This is a good way to stop mails with viruses or large unwanted attachments.

Most of the anti spam software is simple to install with easy to use steps so that the user do not have to waste too much time mastering it. It usually comes with a comprehensive guide, which normally includes some useful animated tutorial materials and frequently asked questions in the DVD software pack or the downloaded software. If you need further information before your purchase, check up the online help desk of the manufacturer.

The user is able to add the email addresses of business and, e-commerce associates as well as friends to a personalized list. Emails sent by them are always recognized when received. At the same time, the anti spam software uses another customizable list of blacklisted email senders to filter out their messages. As the unwanted email will be bounce back to the sender, he will think that the recipient’s email address is not valid and this may reduce future spam. It also allows the user to restore accidentally deleted emails.

In addition, most of the anti spam software runs well on the various operative systems such as Windows 95, 2000, NT and XP and is able to work with many existing email programs including Netscape and Microsoft Outlook.

Ske Chay of http://www.broadbandbusinesssolutions.com Providing some comprehensive information on Anti Spam Software at http://www.thesoftwarebank.com

Author: Ske Chay
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone

Are you looking for an anti spyware or anti adware product? Then, you must do your research. Why? The fact is that through a bit of research you’ll find the best possible program for your needs and not get taken by something that does more harm to your computer then it will do good to your computer.

With a list in hand, you’ll want to do some investigating. Here is a list of things that you must learn before you can choose the right and the best anti spyware program.

1. Who makes the program? This information is available when you purchase the product. Obviously, if you know Microsoft makes something, you know the company. Yet, there are plenty of great tools out there for anti spyware that are not associated with well known brand names. Therefore, don’t assume that well known brands can bring you the best anti spyware programs.

2. Who is the manufacturer, really? Take some time to do some research on the manufacturer. Do they provide other software products? Do a search for them. What do you learn? Even better, what can you find about the company’s history? The more you can uncover about the manufacturer, the better.

3. Visit the website of the Better Business Bureau. Look for both the product name and the company that manufacture’s it. There, you’ll learn if there are any complaints about the product or company that have gone unresolved. There will always complain though the product is claim as the best anti spyware programs. Not all companies will be listed, there, though. Nevertheless, learning the company’s rating at the BBB is a good step and decision to make now.

4. Look for software reviews. Many websites provide detailed reviews that are left by consumers that have used the product in the past. You may be one of these after you select and use the best anti spyware product of your choice. You can often use their information to make the right decision.

5. Visit forums and message boards to learn more. Just a search for anti spyware programs online will lead you to many discussions. That’s because finding the best anti spyware programs is such a large topic with lots of resources. You can learn what others are using as well as get expert advice about one product or the other.

Take a few minutes to find several programs that interest you. Remember, you’ll want to pay attention to the details. The best anti spyware programs is a program that will detect and remove spyware but also features real time monitoring of your computer to stop spyware from being downloaded in the process.

Fakhrul Anuar Malek presents more information on anti spyware programs at http://spyware.cosmomatrix.com – a website provides informative articles and resources on everything you’ll ever need to know about spyware

Author: Fakhrul Anuar Malek
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Information

It is quite possible you are inundated on a daily basis with spam mail and unwanted pop-ups which advertise the latest in spy-ware and antivirus protection. As un-amusing and counterintuitive as it may be, competition and the effective differences between competing antivirus application developers is so tight, that even the manufactures of antivirus programs are willing to exploit your computers weaknesses to advertise their solutions.

The sheer size and efficiency of the internet as well its billion-plus users makes new computer viruses more dangerous and virulent than ever. Viruses can literally spread around the globe in only minutes, effecting thousands of unprotected and unprepared users and businesses virtually instantly and simultaneously. The need for antivirus protection is of paramount concern for virtually all PC users.

First Things First: What IS a Computer Virus?

To be considered a true computer Virus, a program needs the ability to replicate itself and trigger its activity at specified events. A computer virus is just one of three types of programs known as maliceware. Maliceware are applications designed to damage, delete or steal your information, hijack your computer and even damage or destroy your computers hardware. The three types of maliceware you need to concern yourself with are Viruses, Trojans and Worms. Most antivirus programs are designed to detect and defend your PC from all three threats.

What Does an Antivirus Program Do?

Antivirus programs take two common approaches to recognize threats to your computer.

1. Signature Detection: Via Signature Detection an antivirus application scans your computer, drives and storage devices for files that contain a code it recognizes as a virus variant.

2. Activity: An antivirus application will monitor the activity on your computer for suspicious behaviors i.e. modification of system files or folders and unauthorized connections to the internet to name two.

Signature detection generally requires the manufacturer of an antivirus application to obtain a copy of a specific virus and then reverse-engineer it to obtain markers relevant to its programming. These markers are then loaded into your antivirus software via updates. Signature detection is a sound methodology for detecting and protecting against computer viruses, however it can be rendered useless when faced with a virus for which is has no definition.

Antivirus applications that scan for potential computer virus activity can be more useful at detecting the latest threats than those reliant on signature detection. It is important to note that because many applications perform the same activities as a virus writing and changing system files for example a user can quickly become inundated with numerous and unnecessary warnings by antivirus applications that utilize this method for detection.

Most of todays solid antivirus programs utilize a combination of both signature detection and virus activity to protect your computer against threats.

How to Choose the Antivirus Program that is Right for You.

If you try surfing the web for insight into what is the best antivirus program or manufacturer, you will quickly find yourself neck deep in a sea of advertisements which profess themselves to be legitimate and impartial evaluators of the available programs. The truth is, of the major manufacturers, no one solution can provide for all of your potential needs. They all have instances where they are not as effective as the competition at detecting or eliminating a specific infection or threat. There are many good Antivirus applications and manufacturers all vying for your business, be it for personal or business use, and choosing the correct application or manufacturer for your computer security can generally come down to a few simple questions.

How at Risk are You?

Asking yourself this question is perhaps the first and most important step toward choosing what degree of protection you need, and how much money you are willing to spend, on Antivirus protection. Risk generally equates to your computers exposure to outside applications, files or connections. If you were to operate a computer that would never come into contact with any program or file not manufactured by a secure source, then you have virtually no need for an Antivirus application. Simply put, if you never plan to connect your computer to the internet, download files with it or upload at risk files from outside data sources, you should have no need for Antivirus software.

If you are a casual user who perhaps connects to the internet on occasion through a temporary or dial up connection and only download or upload files and programs from reasonably secure sources, your need for an antivirus program is clear, however, your risk may be minimal. In this situation the types and range of protective applications can be kept to a minimum; a basic antivirus program designed to regularly scan your hard drive for infections should offer you the protection that you need. There are many good antivirus programs that will fit this need available as shareware – a free download – throughout the internet.

Now, if you are like what I would consider to be the majority of todays computer users, you are a high risk user and need a wide variety of the most up to date antivirus programs available. If you have a broadband internet connection which keeps your computer connected to the internet 24/7. If you regularly upload and download files and applications from random and un-trusted sources, you need to invest in very thorough security for your computer. High risk users should invest in an antivirus program that offers real time scanning of all incoming and outgoing connections or files, a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC via an open broadband connection, a pop-up blocker that prevents your computers web browser from being hijacked and adware scanners that detect pop-up, spy-ware, tracking and redirection software.

Are you Purchasing for Business or Home?

Antivirus software manufactured for business and home can be two very different applications both in cost and effectiveness. Home versions generally cost less and come with fewer options than business based antivirus programs. Generally the home user does not need the added functionality built into business versions and as such, I would not recommend that a home user invest in an antivirus solution designed for business.

Good antivirus software designed for business is focused on security, both from external and internal threats, as well as ease of maintenance. Most corporate versions of antivirus applications allow for a central point of control over entire networks. Protection can be divided between internet or application servers and individual PCs. New software updates are generally pushed from a central application server through the entire network, allowing for simplicity and assure-ity of a networks protection. Most times, corporate versions of antivirus applications do not allow individual users within a network to make changes to their protection settings; this is of key importance when considering overall network security and stability.

As a business purchasing a corporate class antivirus suite, it is important that your protection extends to each individual user that will access your network. Exchange/mail and internet server protection is a must, as well as protection for mission-critical file and application servers. It is a good rule of thumb for IT managers within corporate environments to assume that all their users will do everything within their power to infect corporate equipment with viruses and threats. Though this most certainly is not true, assuming that users know how to protect themselves or their corporate computer environment from infection is in most cases professional suicide for the IT manger in charge.

Antivirus software for business is generally loaded with more options than software built for home, and as such is often times much more expensive on a whole. Usually business antivirus programs come as a server based application. Clients, or additional licenses, are purchased for each computer or user that connects to the antivirus server.

With Regard to the Antivirus Program Itself:

Determining the true quality and effectiveness of an antivirus program can sometimes come down to how often the manufacturer releases updates to the program. New viruses are introduced to the web on most certainly a daily, if not hourly basis. The best antivirus manufacturers release updates on a daily basis and often offer updates to their programs on a real-time, as needed basis. The ability for an antivirus software manufacturer to release constant, and relevant, updates to their programs should be of great concern to the user. Not having the latest updates can almost be as dangerous as having no protection at all.

Other Important Factors to Consider:

1. The programs compatibility with your current set up and operating system? If you are still using Windows 98 and you are purchasing an antivirus software manufactured in 2006, chances are it is not compatible with your computer.

2. How much in the way of system resources does the program use? Just like all applications and operating systems, antivirus applications will use your computers processing power, memory and storage space to function. Keeping this use to a minimum will help to keep your computer operating at peak performance.

3. What kind of protection does the software offer? Does the program offer protection against multiple threats such as Worms and Trojans? Will the program scan incoming and outgoing text messages and e-mails?

4. Cost How much will the protection cost you over the life of your usage? Most antivirus programs require that you subscribe to their service and then purchase updates on a yearly basis. The costs of these updates can vary widely between manufacturers and should be considered when making your final decision.

Answering these questions truthfully though an honest assessment of your PC usage will help to guarantee that you invest the proper amount of money and time into ensuring your PC and data are safe and secure.

Copyright 2006 http://www.hcditrading.com Brad Calli

Author: Brad Calli
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News

What is a Spam Firewall?

A spam firewall is a hardware device that sits between your internet firewall and LAN. It is called a “firewall” because it provides data filtering of email packets, and blocks the packets that meet the criteria of “spam”. Spam firewalls can also provide anti-virus protection, anti-spyware, anti-spoofing and anti-phishing services, depending on the model you choose. A spam firewall is not designed to protect your network against intruders such as hackers – you will need a regular internet firewall for that.

How Does a Spam Firewall Appliance Work?

Spam firewalls use a variety of methods for determining what is considered spam and filtering it out. Normally a form of blacklisting is used, which automatically filters out email from known spammy addresses. A whitelist may also be used, which allows the administrator to identify addresses or domains that should never be blocked. Keyword scanning may also be used, allowing the administrator or individual user to block emails containing certain keywords or keyword combinations. A form of message authenticity checking is also normally used to identify valid “from” addresses, check details of the entire SMTP process, or validate legitimate IP addresses. Many spam firewall appliances also use bayesian algorithm filtering, which help the firewall block more spam over time as it “learns” what is considered spam based on message history, user input and other analysis. Incoming message flow filters also look at the number of incoming messages and where they are from, allowing them to quickly spot and stop a sudden barrage of spam emails that have been mass-distributed from the same source. Spam firewalls are very “smart” and good at eliminating the majority of spam email that comes into a network. They are not 100% effective, but many come close.

Are Spam Firewalls Expensive?

Spam firewall appliances range in price from around $2000 up to $20,000 or more, depending on the number of users it needs to protect and features. Many spam firewalls have optional features like antivirus or anti spyware. Spam firewalls need to be kept up to date with the latest data on known spam sites, new algorithms, updated filters, etc… This is normally handled by the firewall manufacturer as an auto-update feature. As with most network appliances, an annual maintenance plan is usually purchased for the purpose of keeping the firewall up to date and performing it’s best.

What About False Positives?

Spam firewall appliances use many sophisticated techniques to identify and block spam, generally with very good success. Because spammers are constantly change their techniques in order to get their junk mail past the latest and greatest spam filtering technologies, spam firewalls must continually monitor patterns and make filtering corrections. Spam firewall manufacturers are also constantly make corrective configuration changes to keep up with the battle against spammers. For this reason, even the best spam firewall is going to filter out “good” mail from time to time. This is called a “false positive”, and administrators (and users) must always be on the lookout for this. Most spam firewalls have sensitivity thresholds that can be adjusted by an administrator to help overcome false positives.

A spam firewall appliance is not your typical “set it and forget it” firewall, but the advantage of having such an appliance on your network far outweighs the need for some administrative work. If your organization experiences a lot of spam mail – get a spam firewall and experience the difference!

DJ is a corporate IT Manager and author of the following sites covering information technology topics: Computer Security for Everyone, Save on Phone Service with VoIP, Internet Phone Service – The Future is Here!

Author: Debbie Jacobsen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News

If you use your computer everyday, or at least depend on it for important functions such as emailing and researching, then you at least need some basic know-how of anti-spy software. There are several manufacturers who claim that their anti-spy software can protect your PC completely, but do they really? Heres what you need to know.

Anti-spy software works by scanning the entire operating system for all of the suspicious codes that may be harmful to your data system. When the anti-spy program detects any piece of suspicious code, it then compares it to the stock codes that are known as signatures. These signatures are kept in file under those already trapped spy programs. Signatures are contained in a signature base, a vital ingredient of an anti-spy software. Needless to say, the more signatures your anti-spy software knows and keeps, the more protected your computer system becomes.

When Anti-Spy Software is Not Good Enough

Like the police departments in all locales, anti-spy software watches out and prepares to trap the outlaws. But there are still some spy programs that remain at large. These days, more and newer spy programs are generated. There are signature-based spy programs recently created that cannot be identified by average anti-spy programs. And, once the code is unknown to your current anti-spy software, it will not be able to protect your system from possible corruption.

The best that you can do is to update your anti-spy software as often as possible. Do your best to backup your data so that if your hard drive crashes because of an attack, your can still retrieve your files.

Spy Software provides detailed information on Spy Software, Email Spy Software, Computer Spy Software, Anti Spy Software and more. Spy Software is affiliated with Computer Security Software.

Author: Steve Valentino
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

Antivirus software refers to computer programs or tools that are used for identifying, blocking, and removing malicious applications such as computer viruses and malwares from the system. They have become essential tools for any computer user in todays world of constant threat from virus attacks, spywares, system hijackers, etc.

An antivirus application performs two basic functions. The first is to scan all files, according to user preference, and identify the virus based on matching definitions in its database. This is known as virus dictionary or database approach of identifying viruses. Secondly, if run in real time, it tries to identify and suspicious activities occurring in the system, which may be triggered by other computer programs in the operating system. This is known as suspicious behavior approach. These two functions are the basis on which most antivirus software programs are built.

The Database Approach:

When the antivirus identifies a virus that matches any code or definition in its database, it will alert the user, and the user has the option of repairing, quarantining, deleting or analyzing the infected file. If the virus cannot be removed from the infected file, it is usually set to quarantine. However, users also have the option of immediately deleting the file thereby eliminating any further threats, or before the virus can execute itself. The infected file can also be sent to the software company for analysis and inclusion in the database, or if the antivirus has the feature, the user can analyze the infected file by self.

Since new viruses are created everyday, the virus database of the antivirus has to be updated continually. Almost all database updates are free and they can be scheduled or done manually.

Suspicious Behavior Approach:

There is no attempt to identify known viruses here like in the dictionary approach. Every activity and behavior in the system is monitored here by the antivirus. Therefore, this approach may protect from new viruses which has not yet been identified out of suspicion. However, this approach has mostly been abandoned by many antivirus companies because of its tendency to sound too many false positives. And today, there are so many non-malicious programs which can modify other executable files in disregard to the false positive issue. So this technique has become almost obsolete.

Popular Antivirus Software:

Norton Antivirus: One of the most well-known antivirus software, Norton automatically detects and removes viruses, rids computer of unwanted spyware, and scans email and IM attachments for threats.

McAfee VirusScan: The antivirus detects, blocks, and removes viruses and spyware, and protects irreplaceable documents such as digital photos, family movies, and financial spreadsheets, identity theft and slower PC performance.

PC-cillin Internet Security: From Trend Micro, it is an award-winning antivirus security and a personal firewall. Protects against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers, detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. Also protects your wireless network with Wi-Fi Intrusion Detection.

Panda Titanium: It uses TruPrevent Technologies, offering a double layer of protection against unknown viruses and intruders. It also protects system from hackers, phishing and other online fraud.

Antivirus HQ http://antivirus-hq.com/ your online resource to help protect your PC from viruses and spyware.

Author: George Royal
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Multi-cooker

Bad News – the Threat is Bigger than it Seemed

How recently it was when even many journalists thought that spyware gathers mostly information to be used for targeted advertising. Definitions like “spyware, a.k.a. adware, is” were pretty common in articles. Keyloggers and system monitors were mentioned as dangerous, but relatively rare. Until the Spy Audit survey made by ISP Earthlink and Webroot Software clearly showed – they are not rare at all.

The results of the survey are here:

http://www.earthlink.net/spyaudit/press/ and http://www.earthlink.net/about/press/pr_spyauditsurvey/

Reading them will be time well-spent for everybody who uses Internet and at least sometimes deals with information valuable enough to be stolen; in fact, it means just everybody.

“Industry experts suggest that these types of programs [i.e. spyware in general] may reside on up to 90 percent of all Internet-connected computers” that’s the exact quote. Considering the number of computers scanned during this survey (which lasted for a whole year 2004), there is nothing left but to come to the conclusion it must be true to fact.

Despite the fact that one of the Spy Audit authors is an anti-spyware vendor, there is no doubt that the results are trustworthy there has been more than 4.6 million system scans made in 2004. It seems that the results of the survey might be like the bolt from the blue even for the specialists, not to mention general public.

16.48% of all scanned consumer PCs in 2004 had a system monitor installed. It means that 16.48% of these users were definitely under monitoring (who monitors them that’s another question). 16.69% had a Trojan horse program, and this is a troubling sign, too it is a keylogging module that Trojans often have inside. “Information-stealing Trojan” in descriptions most often means “keylogger-containing Trojan”. Both figures give us an overwhelming 33.17% PCs contaminated with some program with information stealing capability. Even if not all these Trojans were information-stealing ones, the situation is distressing anyway.

Schools of Phish and Herds of Trojan Horses

“Traditional” phishing and spoofing (sending emails linked to a bogus bank Web site and waiting for unwitting customers) are, unfortunately, not new phenomena. It is a modernized two-stage scam which includes contaminating the victim’s machine with a keylogger-containing Trojan horse program that is spreading like a wildfire now.

This scheme is without doubt much more dangerous; in this case the victim needn’t follow the link in the email. Trojan horse lurks in the background until the victim types particular titles or URLs into his browser. Once the user visits one of a number of banking Web sites the malicious code is triggered into action, capturing passwords and taking screenshots. Then the information is sent to remote hackers who can use it to break into the bank account and steal money.

There were several outbreaks in activity of such information-stealing Trojans which targeted bank customers in 2004. Actually, such a scam was first used in Brazil when the notorious Trojan named Troj/Banker-AJ appeared, experts recalled that the security firm Sophos had warned earlier in 2004 about criminals who used similar techniques to break into Brazilian online bank accounts.

Crooks may use pretty ingenious and “efficient”(if such a word could be appropriate for this activity) techniques to place the Trojan into users’ PCs letters can be mimicking CNN news alerts, or offering to reserve the very latest book about Harry Potter in the series before it is published in July. Who knows what will they invent next?

Looking for Solutions to the Problem

In 2004 it become as clear as day to anyone – from being not much more than a nuisance for PC users, spyware turned into one of the major threats to information security. Since the Internet has become a part of daily life and business, rapid growth of such kinds of cybercrime as identity theft and phishing endanger the whole society. Some types of spyware, namely software capable of stealing valuable information (like passwords, SSNs), certainly facilitate these crimes.

Software vendors by all means are responding to the threat to meet the enormous demand for anti-spyware protection.

Several big anti-virus vendors, such as Norton and McAfee, have already begun providing anti-spyware protection as well. Microsoft also joined the anti-spyware market this year (and has already become a target for the malicious Trojan called Bankash-A; fortunately, no serious damages reported so far). Symantec plans to announce new features to fight spyware in some of its enterprise antivirus and intrusion prevention products.

Besides, there also are literally – hundreds of stand-alone anti-spyware developers and vendors. The number of anti-spyware software they all develop, promote and sell is constantly growing – and will grow in future. So will the profits. According to predictions from the market advisory firm IDC, the market for anti-spyware solutions is expected to boom in the next few years. Anti-spyware software revenues will soar from US$12 million in 2003 to $305 million in 2008.

But what about end users are they going to benefit from such a variety of anti-spyware solutions available at the market? Or will they just feel bewildered and lost in all this mass of ads offering instant relief from nasty and dangerous spyware? It looks like most people are already confused because advertising is pretty much alike how to distinguish a high-quality product from some hit-or-miss software developers fabricated in haste just to get quick profit?

What a user can (actually must) do is to know what exactly he or she is buying or installing for free. Here are several simple common-sense tips:

The first step is to visit the site of the company that produces this product. Look it through. Read “about us” section. How long does this company exist? Ignore “testimonials” there is no guarantee that it wasn’t the company’s PR manager who wrote them. It would be better to search, say, Google groups for opinions.

A good old background check will also do a lot of good. It takes some time, though but peace of mind later is worth half an hour’s browsing the Web now. The simplest way is to search for the product’s name along with such words like “installs”, “spyware”, “adware”, “popups”, etc.

There are even lists of suspicious, low-performing, or adware-installing products. See, for example, http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm – an ample list of anti-spyware you’d better not buy. By the way, the whole this site is worth studying thoroughly.

The fact that you are not a tech person doesn’t mean you can afford not knowing the basic principles these products are based on. What a user can expect from an anti-spy product and what is simply impossible?

Most anti-spyware products apply signature databases, i.e. rely on simple pattern-matching technique. Detecting spy software is the crucial step of the whole process all the protection depends on whether the anti-spy software is able to detect as many malicious programs as possible. The bigger the database is and the more often it is updated, the more reliable protection the product will provide.

Signature base, which most anti-spy products depend on, is actually the “list” of signatures small pieces of spy programs’ codes. Anti-virus or anti-spy program actually scans the system and compares its codes with those in signature bases. So, in this case only the spies whose signatures already are in the base will be detected and eventually “caught”. As long as anti-spy software is regularly updated and the system doesn’t come across some unknown spy product, everything is all right.

The problem is that there is good deal of people capable of creating something brand-new, unknown to anti-spyware developers. The period of time when a new spy already exists, but the updates have not been released yet, is the very time when cybercriminals make their biggest profits.

The advantage of signature base analysis is that programs based on this method of detection can be of wider range it is possible to include signatures from different types of spyware and adware into a single database. However, regular release of updates for these bases becomes crucial. If the developer fails to do it properly and on time, there is a considerable risk for such a program to become “Jack of all trades and a master of none.”

The conclusion is simple if a product applies signature database, it’s better to choose anti-spyware with the biggest and most frequently updated base. Don’t expect absolute protection with this technique it is simply unattainable.

But in case of information-stealing programs, like keyloggers or keylogging-containing Trojans, a single “overlooked” program may mean lost valuable data. Since signature analysis can’t ensure protection against constantly appearing brand-new keyloggers, blocking the very process of keylogging would be better. Such a technology already exists, and it may be the next step towards more reliable protection against the most malicious types of spy programs.

Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC – the independent software developing company, which created the technology capable of blocking the very process of keylogging. Visit its website: http://www.anti-keyloggers.com

Author: Alexandra Gamanenko
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker

For removal of spyware Trojan, usual anti virus software are not always effective. Especially for those Trojans that partially or fully disable the anti virus tools, it is impossible to detect the malware and remove that from the system. So, even if you are having an anti virus software installed in your computer you are not always protected from the malicious spy-ware, adware and Trojan virus.

Trojan horses are created by the black hat hackers or crackers with different objectives. Mostly they are delivered to the victim’s PC through other downloads, mostly through freeware and MP3 and movie downloads. Trojans are used to erase, overwriting or copy data from the infected computer. It can also corrupt and encrypt files, upload and download files through the internet connection of the infected computer adding the cost of use to that user. Trojan can also steal passwords of bank accounts and credit card numbers by logging the key stokes that is used for criminal activities. Trojans are even circulated for collecting email addresses and then spreading spam emails. Trojan horse poses the threat of installing other malicious software like spy-ware, adware and porn dialers. Trojans are also used to remotely administrate the infected computer without even the knowledge of the user. Removal spyware Trojan software can protect you from all these threats.

Some of the most commonly found Trojan horses are Atwinda, AudioDoor, Autocrat, AutoPWN, Autograph, AutoSpY, Avanzado, Avone, Ayan Bilisim, Azrael, BD Blade runner, Crazy Daisy, Connect4, Donald Dick, Theef, Twelve Tricks, VMLFILL and so on. Everyday different new Trojans are being created and delivered with various levels of threat. An effective removal spyware Trojan tool can protect you from any Trojan threat as the software regularly updates its Trojan database and effectively detects the Trojan from the computer and removes it. So, with Trojan removal software installed in your system you stay protected.

With the increasing number of Trojan virus in the World Wide Web you can never be sure of the security of your system. Without an effective tool for removal spyware Trojan, you have to format your hard disk and reinstall the operating system and other application, once your PC gets infected with the deadly Trojan or spy-ware. Using the facility of internet, you can easily download the anti trojan program and can make you computer insect free for long-long time. So, make sure you get protection from the malware with anti Trojan software.

Author is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Anti Spyware, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter. Learn how to remove spyware or Trojan from your system. Visit our Home or informative Resource Center to read more about products and download free trial of a range of security and performance enhancing software like

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Author: Arvind Singh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: How Electric Pressure Cookers Work