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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
Also see our...
Consumer Symantec AntiVirus & Other Solutions
Enterprise Symantec AntiVirus Solutions
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