Malware and Viruses
Along with viruses, one of the biggest threats to computer users on the Internet today is malware. It can hijack your browser, redirect your search attempts, serve up nasty pop-up ads, track what web sites you visit, and generally screw things up. Malware is a term used to describe software that is intentionally installed on a computer to gather information or cause problems for the user. Malware programs are usually poorly-programmed and can cause your computer to become unbearably slow and unstable in addition to all the other havoc they wreak. With most of the attacks directed towards Windows computers, mostly for its staggering 80-85% market share, Apple and Linux are still prone to a malware attack. Elk Cloner was the very first computer virus as we know them today, the creator was a 15 year old, and did not create the program to harm the system. It was created as a prank. Most viruses will reinstall themselves, even after you think you have removed them, or hide themselves deep within windows making them very difficult to clean and detect. You can get infected by malware in several ways: Malware often comes bundled with other programs file sharing programs seem to be the biggest bundlers. Although, there is no official breakdown we can divide malware into several broad categories of malware: adware, spyware, hijackers, and toolbars.
Computer viruses transmitted using the web affect web security and also affect companies to lose millions of dollars in data. Malware programs, usually pop-up ads sending revenue from the programs’ author. Other programs track what you surf on the internet, and sell that data to market analyst. Some are installed from websites, pretending to be software needed to view the website. Explorer like a virus would require you to do nothing but visit the wrong web page to get infected. The vast majority however must be installed by the user. Once you get malware on your computer it tends to multiply. A computer...