Help! There’s a Virus in My Spam
There are tons of websites and blog posts out there that harp on the need to protect your PC with some sort of Anti-Virus protection and a hundred more that talk about malware, spam and other offensive PC invaders. But, what should you really expect from such software and what other action should you take to help the software do its job?
First, let’s look at how PC protection software (anti-virus, anti-malware and spam filters) really works. There are two main ways the software can detect a problem on your PC – by consulting a list of known threats or by comparing downloaded files to known threats to see if they have similar patterns. A detailed description of how each variety works can be found on the eHow website. For our purposes, what we need to know is that software that uses a list blocks files from running based on their inclusion on the list. A default list is installed with the software and is updated when you update your the software. Software that checks for patterns looks at each file on your system or in your inbox to see how similar it is to known threats and blocks those that it feels may be suspicious. In both case, the user has the ability to unblock a file or e-mail. And, in both cases, the software is only as good as our collected knowledge of known threats, making even the best software vulnerable to new creations or mutations of older viruses and spam.
Most anti-virus software is well-designed and can identify the vast majority of viruses and malware that a typical user comes in contact with on a regular basis. The software, however, does need some help by the user so it is a good idea to make sure you follow regular PC maintenance schedules and observe some safe surfing suggestions. A pro-active user has the best chance of avoiding damaging infestations.
A good PC maintenance schedule is not that hard to keep, since most of the things you really need to do can be set-up to run automatically during non-peak usage times. The most important task to set-up is to set-up automatic software updates and/or pay attention when you get a message alerting you to an update. The primary concern here is to keep the anti-virus software updated and also to keep Windows updated. Fortunately, both can be accomplished by setting a schedule and forgetting about it. Anti-virus software will usually update in the background and Windows updates can download at night or in the back ground and installed when you turn off your PC. But, you should also heed any update suggestions from other software, such as Java, Flash or even iTunes. Viruses and malware often exploit holes in software to compromise your machine, which is how hackers spread them through videos or pictures. These holes are often patched by the updates so you can protect yourself further by keeping the software that plays your videos and music up to date.
Finally, keep in mind some basic safe-surfing tips. Particularly remember that you can’t trust anyone, even your granny, since e-mail addresses are easy to fake. If something looks suspicious, don’t open it until you verify that it is legitimate. If someone sends you a video or picture that you think might have a virus, contact the sender and ask them if it is real. If you receive an e-mail with a great offer or suggestion that you click a site to get a free puppy, check it out before you click anything. One site, Snopes, does a great job of collecting information about Nigerian lottery hoaxes and even some more legitimate looking ones. You can do a keyword search using terms included in the e-mail you received and Snopes will tell you if it is a real offer. The same holds true for websites, they can be faked so make sure you pay attention to the address in your address bar - just because a website looks like your bank's website, the address will give it away as a fake if it doesn't match. Rule of thumb is, most businesses use their name plus the dot com and fakes have either close misspellings or very odd combinations of letters and numbers.
First, let’s look at how PC protection software (anti-virus, anti-malware and spam filters) really works. There are two main ways the software can detect a problem on your PC – by consulting a list of known threats or by comparing downloaded files to known threats to see if they have similar patterns. A detailed description of how each variety works can be found on the eHow website. For our purposes, what we need to know is that software that uses a list blocks files from running based on their inclusion on the list. A default list is installed with the software and is updated when you update your the software. Software that checks for patterns looks at each file on your system or in your inbox to see how similar it is to known threats and blocks those that it feels may be suspicious. In both case, the user has the ability to unblock a file or e-mail. And, in both cases, the software is only as good as our collected knowledge of known threats, making even the best software vulnerable to new creations or mutations of older viruses and spam.
Most anti-virus software is well-designed and can identify the vast majority of viruses and malware that a typical user comes in contact with on a regular basis. The software, however, does need some help by the user so it is a good idea to make sure you follow regular PC maintenance schedules and observe some safe surfing suggestions. A pro-active user has the best chance of avoiding damaging infestations.
A good PC maintenance schedule is not that hard to keep, since most of the things you really need to do can be set-up to run automatically during non-peak usage times. The most important task to set-up is to set-up automatic software updates and/or pay attention when you get a message alerting you to an update. The primary concern here is to keep the anti-virus software updated and also to keep Windows updated. Fortunately, both can be accomplished by setting a schedule and forgetting about it. Anti-virus software will usually update in the background and Windows updates can download at night or in the back ground and installed when you turn off your PC. But, you should also heed any update suggestions from other software, such as Java, Flash or even iTunes. Viruses and malware often exploit holes in software to compromise your machine, which is how hackers spread them through videos or pictures. These holes are often patched by the updates so you can protect yourself further by keeping the software that plays your videos and music up to date.
Finally, keep in mind some basic safe-surfing tips. Particularly remember that you can’t trust anyone, even your granny, since e-mail addresses are easy to fake. If something looks suspicious, don’t open it until you verify that it is legitimate. If someone sends you a video or picture that you think might have a virus, contact the sender and ask them if it is real. If you receive an e-mail with a great offer or suggestion that you click a site to get a free puppy, check it out before you click anything. One site, Snopes, does a great job of collecting information about Nigerian lottery hoaxes and even some more legitimate looking ones. You can do a keyword search using terms included in the e-mail you received and Snopes will tell you if it is a real offer. The same holds true for websites, they can be faked so make sure you pay attention to the address in your address bar - just because a website looks like your bank's website, the address will give it away as a fake if it doesn't match. Rule of thumb is, most businesses use their name plus the dot com and fakes have either close misspellings or very odd combinations of letters and numbers.
- Laura N.
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