Accessing the Internet provides many opportunities for the unscrupulous person to infect your Computer with Viruses, Malware, Spyware, Greyware, Ransomware and Potentially Unwanted Programs. It is perhaps the many different types of infection that you can stumble across that cause the most confusion. On the one hand you are told that you should only install one brand of Antivirus software but on the other hand you are told that you need to use a multi-vendor approach to remain Virus and Spyware free. Different threats also have different levels of impact on the use of your Computer, some are nuisance based and intended to slow you down but others aim to steal your banking passwords or encrypt all the files on your Computer. Nuisance based programs can be very obvious like a series of pop-ups all over your screen but on the other hand keyloggers that record all your keystrokes are working quietly in the background sending the contents of your session back to the owner of the Virus.
It is only my opinion but I don't believe it's worth paying a lot of money for Antivirus software. Microsoft's own Windows Defender and Security Essentials do a pretty good job and there are also lots of free products out there. The number one cause of getting a virus is usually yourself and if you visit risky websites, say "yes" or "okay" to the wrong thing, open lots of e-mails and attachments from unknown sources then no antivirus product in the world is going to save you. Your own vigilance is therefore the single most important thing in keeping viruses off your Computer.
There are roughly 600 new viruses launched every week and it stands to reason that somebody visiting a website that contains a new virus for which your Antivirus Software doesn't have the necessary updated definition file is going to get it. It is really important to update your Antivirus definition files as soon as updates are available and look out for the updating process being turned off and your Antivirus Software being well out of date. The first thing a good quality virus does is turn off the updating of your definition files so that not only has your AV Software missed it now, it will also miss it in the future. Regular weekly scans are also important to catch any viruses that have sneaked onto your Computer before the definition files were updated.
This paragraph explains how sophisticated some viruses have become and how your AV Software misses them. You can visit an infected website that downloads a small module onto your Computer. This module is capable of passing undetected through the real time scanner of an Antivirus product. Once on your Computer that module calls and downloads several other modules that are also capable of passing undetected through your real time scanner. Once all the components are present on your PC they are assembled together and then the virus launches its payload. Your real time scanner will pickup the virus at this point but it's too late - the damage has already been done to your Computer.
A common cause of ending up with Potentially Unwanted Programs or PUP's is looking for free downloads. Many sites that offer free downloads also bundle in other unwanted programs that find their way onto your Computer. The first step in protecting yourself is to never gamble on a download from an unknown site and secondly even when on a reputable site look very carefully for tick boxes that are pre-ticked during the installation. Remove all the ticks as you proceed so that you only install the software or get the download you originally wanted. Even after taking these steps there is still a risk that a PUP you didn't want has been bundled in with a download.
Of course if you do get infected by a virus having purchased Antivirus Software and then attempt to complain the vendor will either refer to the reasons above or claim that Antivirus Software only protects you against Viruses and Malware, Spyware, Greyware, Ransomware and Potentially Unwanted Programs are all something different.
If you do have concerns that you may have a Virus or are suffering from pop-ups or a slow Computer then Churchdown Computers offer a Computer Health Check using 4 different programs for only £29.99 if you live within a 10 mile radius of Churchdown. This service is also offered to people who live further afield in Gloucestershire with the extra mileage being charged at 50p per mile both ways. So for instance if you are 15 miles away it will be an extra £5. If you are interested just call Mark on 07557 483438, email me at mark@churchdowncomputers.co.uk or fill out the form at the bottom of the Contact Page.
Anything found will be removed and at the very least you will receive peace of mind that your Computer is 100% clean.
Future articles will discuss Ransomware, how to protect yourself, the risks of Cloud Storage and how I can help with a Backup plan so please bookmark this site to keep up to date.
