Spyware Is Not The Only Malware Threat To Your Home Computer
By Richard Rogers
Given the enormous quantity of press and industry attention to'Spyware' it is easy to forget there are other sorts of malignant software or'malware' out there. Viruses, Worms and Trojans are still being developed to steal your private data or damage your PC. These malicious programs can be hidden in email attachments or files which are downloaded off the internet.

Most PC users are acquainted with the term'computer virus.' A pathogen is mostly hidden inside another program or executable file. A pathogen can be relatively safe, as an example showing a message or picture at a preset time. Others variants however can be incredibly destructive including erasing info from your hard drive, corrupting programs or stealing delicate info like passwords or finance data.


One of the constraints with a pathogen is that it cannot spread itself mechanically. Sadly a'Worm' can, and it exists to duplicate itself. It's a self-contained program which is usually inserted in an email attachment like a Microsoft Word document. The most scandalous variants like the'ILOVEYOU' Worm in 2k are spread using the e-mail address book on the infected user's computer. It emails itself to the contacts in the address book without the user's data.

A Worm can cause intensive damage to both the PC and the network your PC uses. A Worm infection consumes network bandwidth as it sends itself out. For instance, a widespread infection can dramatically slow or completely overload a company network. It can even slowdown the rate of the Net itself!

A Worm can also carry a perilous program. The commonest type of program is a'backdoor' which given concealed access to your computer to the virus creator. Your computer then becomes a'Zombie' used to send out Spam email or other PC viruses.
A Trojan masquerades itself as a valid program or file. For example, you may think that you are downloading a MP3 music file but when the file is loaded a virus is installed on your system. Once installed onto the user's PC it can have the same impact as a pathogen.

here are some common manifestations of infection by any of they types of :
- Unexplained crashes
- unusual program error messages
- PC freezes
- Poor PC performance
- Angry emails from folks you have'spammed'

or unknowingly sent a pathogen ( sign that your personal computer is a likely'Zombie' ).

here are some steps you can take to help forestall infection :
- ensure you are receiving the most recent Windows XP updates. It is highly recommended that you receive these updates automatically.
- Have a good firewall installed - ideally you need to have an application which filters both'inbound' and'outbound' net traffic.
- delete and don't open any email with an attachment from any one you do not know.
- Install an anti pathogen program and keep the pathogen definitions up to date. Carry out a pathogen scan a least once every week. Always scan email attachments if you're planning on opening them.
- employ a Spam Filter to stop threatening email getting onto your PC in the first place.
Richard Rogers is a owner of a number of computer related sites. One of his sites offers Free Computer Help for Windows XP Users and has just launched his new Registry Cleaner Blog.