If you own a computer and regularly browse the Internet, you’ll understand the importance of protecting your machine from malware with up-to-date antivirus software. Malware, which is short for ‘malicious software’, is designed to infiltrate a computer without the owner’s permission. If it is successful, the implications can be very serious indeed.
The term ‘computer virus’ is often used to encompass all types of malicious software, but in fact malware consists of viruses, worms, spyware, adware, trojan horses, crimeware and rootkits. The good news is that most PC users recognise the importance of free antivirus software, but recent research has shown that one demographic may be putting itself at greater risk than others.
According to Kaspersky Lab, there are almost 15,000 malware attacks on UK computers each day, which suggests that gamers may not be as malware savvy as other computer users. Its global research and analysis team has expressed concern that the reported figure is actually much higher, with fantasy game World of Warcraft users being some of the most affected.
There’s little doubt that cybercriminals are diverting their attention to the online gaming community, so if you’re an enthusiast, what should you do to protect your machine? If you’ve got a relatively new computer, it’s wise to consider Windows 7 antivirus. While this may be the latest version of Windows, it’s vital to invest in some antivirus software – with many packages now including a ‘gaming mode’ for added security.
Separate research from Kaspersky Lab revealed that during 2009, over 14 million malicious programs were released on the Internet; the computer security company processed approximately 30,000 such programs every day. While some of these are relatively harmless, other are far more serious. For example, some are specifically designed to take bank account details and login and password details for online shopping accounts.
David Jacoby, Kaspersky Lab’s senior security researcher at its global research and analysis team, said that “failing to secure every computer is potentially leaving people vulnerable to theft, identity fraud and sometimes worse”. While burglars can choose which house to break into, he explained, malware does not discriminate – it can target any computer at any time, and if the machine isn’t protected, the chances are that it will successfully obtain the confidential information it was designed to extract.
Mr Jacoby went on to state that the value of the information stored inside a computer is quite often greater than the machine itself. This tends to be true in most instances – not only is an unprotected computer putting financial data such as bank details at risk, the user also risks losing sentimental files such as family photos or videos.
Once malware successfully enters your computer, it is designed to spread to your electronic contacts. It does this by including itself in email attachments – so, depending on how many addresses are stored in your email account, you could be moving your problem on to hundreds more computer users.
Why is malware created? The simple answer is money: cybercriminals can make vast sums by obtaining personal information. Experts in their (highly illegal) field, they rely on virtually breaking into unsecured computers and stealing money online. With new malware being developed and released every day, it’s vital that your Internet security package is able to update itself in real time.
The most effective antivirus programs have an automatic update service, which means that they are able to scan your machine at regular intervals with the latest information – spotting anything suspicious and bringing it to your attention.
After deciding on your antivirus package and purchasing it, there are a few basics to bear in mind. First and foremost, how it’s configured is actually more important than how it’s installed. If a faulty configuration occurs, the efficiency of your antivirus program may be significantly compromised. If you’re unsure of anything during the installation process, consult the help of a technical expert who will be able to point you in the right direction.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that you should never have two antivirus programs running at the same time. If you purchase another one, make sure that the old one is completely removed. If the uninstall facility isn’t available, use Windows’ add/remove software tool, which can be found in the control panel.
An unfortunate reality of the Internet is the number of bogus antivirus programs out there. Rogue virus scanners will normally encourage you to purchase ‘the full version’ in order to fully remove the malware that it has supposedly detected. If you go ahead with the purchase, there have been reports of credit and debit cards being charged more than advertised. The moral of the story? Only purchase an antivirus program from a reputable company. If you’re unsure, ask an expert for advice.
Sadly, it seems that malware is no longer limited to computers. Kaspersky Lab recently reported that the first SMS trojan had been detected on smartphones using Google’s Andriod operating system. Disguising itself as a harmless media player, it prompts users to install a file of just 13KB ending in .APK, which is the standard Android extension which many users will recognise. Once this is installed, the trojan starts to send text messages to premium rate numbers without the owner realising. Unaware that anything is wrong, their money can soon be passed into the hands of cybercriminals.
If you use the Internet regularly, the chances are that you have a Facebook account. Did you know that the social media portal is the third most-targeted website in terms of phishing attacks? So, it may be wise to consider how much information you choose to publish – even if you think that only your friends can see it.
Kaspersky has also discovered that the majority of current malicious programs were HTML pages written in JavaScript. Because these are so widespread, you can’t afford to leave your computer unsecured – even if you browse the Internet occasionally. Not only will you be risking your financial security, you’ll also risk losing a number of cherished memories.
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