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What is a Virus?
 

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DEFINITION OF A SOFTWARE VIRUS:

In computer security technology, a software virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents.  Thus, a computer virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells.  Extending the analogy, the insertion of the virus into a program is termed infection, and the infected file (or executable code that is not part of a file) is called a host.  The term virus today is also used in a broader since to refer to other types of malicious software such as malware, worms, and Trojan horses.  The most common way that viruses are spread is through email attachments.  Most such emails also using spoofing or forging strategies to hide the identity of the true sender.  (For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 129972.)

Click here for a time line of notable viruses and worms.

Click here to view a video from Microsoft's website about viruses.

 


WHAT IS ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

Antivirus software is a computer program that attempts to identify, thwart, and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software.  Usually you can configure the antivirus software to either delete the infected file or quarantine it.  Many antivirus vendors are now using three very different techniques in their antivirus solutions in an attempt to improve the overall protection level of their customers' computer systems.

Signature Scanning: The majority of antivirus software programs currently use this technique, which involves searching the target (host computer, disk drive, or files) for a pattern that could represent a virus.  These patterns are generally stored in files referred to as signature files, which are updated by the software vendors on a regular basis to ensure the antivirus scanners recognize as many known virus attacks as possible.  The main problem with this technique is that the antivirus software must already be updated to counteract the virus before the scanner can recognize it.

Heuristic Scanning:  This technique attempts to detect both new and known forms of viruses by looking for general virus characteristics.  The primary advantage of this technique is that is does not rely on signature files to identify and counteract a virus.

Behavior Blocking:  This technique focuses on the behavior of a virus attack rather than the code itself.  For example, if an application attempts to open a network port, a behavior blocking antivirus program could detect this as typical virus activity, and then flag the behavior as a possible virus attack.

 

 

WHY DO I NEED ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE?

The answer is simple.  If you use the Internet at all and do not have an up-to-date antivirus program running, you will become infected with a virus.  It is just a matter of time!  Microsoft has

 

 

FREE ON-LINE VIRUS SCANS:

Many of the antivirus vendors offer free on-line scans of your computer.  These can be useful if you suspect your computer is infected and do not have up-to-date antivirus software installed.  Below are links to a few of the free on-line virus scans.

Panda Software On-Line ActiveScan

Symantec Check for Security Risks

McAfee FreeScan
 

 

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