I am beginning on a multi-part series on Internet Security which concerns you, your computer and your data. It will be a weekly edition as I begin to explain to you some technical terms of IS and its threats, so be sure you subscribe to CCT’s feeds.
Today is also marked as Safer Internet Day, 6th Feburary 2007. Click here to learn more.
In my first part of my multi-part series, I am going to introduce 3 keywords.
These 3 “musketeers” are famous for their destruction of your important data and your system files. But it is a very sad thing that there is a serious misconception that these 3 “musketeers” are the same. And I really hope you will be able to differentiate it next time round when you encounter them. 😀
- Trojan Horses
- Viruses
- Worms
Trojan horses are stealth applications created and used by hackers. Very dangerous. It can be installed remotely, running behind your system processes, and even disguising as normal files when you are running a virus scan. It corrupts your system files, allowing
a back door for hackers to steal data. According to Webopedia, there are basically 7 main kinds of trojans! Can you imagine that!
Viruses are also known as “scrap codes” and are designed to corrupt your system files. Unlike the trojan horses, viruses actually spread like amoebas! Today you can have A’s computer infected. Tomorrow, close friends of A – B and C’s computers are also infected. It goes on and on and on, unless you stop it.
Worms are “mathematical formulas” created to eat up your system processes. Simply just that. When you think that your system is not running as per normal, and you have downloaded something very recently, most probably, you know you caught yourself a worm.
I hope by now, you get a clearer picture what the 3 “musketeers” are, and their specific roles.
Till next week…! 🙂
Important Links:
Trend Micro – Free Online Virus Scan
BitDefender – Free Online Scan
Panda ActiveScan – Free online antivirus to combat viruses, spyware and other Internet threats
Symantec Security Check
Free Online Trojan Scanner
Free Virus Scan – Kaspersky Lab
VIRUSTOTAL – Free Online Virus and Malware Scan
