IT Security Blog

Tips to Keeping Your Computer Protected From Viruses

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Even in this age of hacking, viruses, malware and all other online hazards, you can still keep your computer protected. And you know what? It doesn’t take an expert to do so. Here are a few simple tips to keep your computer protected from viruses.

Tip #1: Install an antivirus

First things first: you should install an antivirus in your computer. You can purchase one, whether through the Web or at a shop, but support and updates for it are typically good for only a year. However, while updates last, these premium antiviruses provide really effective protection for your computer. Good examples include Webroot Secure Anywhere and Norton Antivirus. [Read more…]

Ants Versus Worms

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antNot everyone hates worms – the natural kind, that is. I still remember classmates from grade school (even high school!) who grossed out everyone else by eating worms in their natural state. I am talking about a different kind of worm here, though; the kind that everyone hates; computer worms.

Pretty soon, we just might have ants on our side to combat the threat that worms pose year in and year out. Researchers in the field of IT security have been working on a project to combat worms, drawing their inspiration from the common ant. The Daily Tech tells the story:

Security researchers found inspiration in the common ant. Describes Wake Forest University Professor of Computer Science Errin Fulp, “In nature, we know that ants defend against threats very successfully. They can ramp up their defense rapidly, and then resume routine behavior quickly after an intruder has been stopped. We were trying to achieve that same framework in a computer system.”

WFU created digital “ants” — utilities that migrate from computer to computer over networks searching for threats. When one locates a threat, others congregate on it, using so-called “swarm intelligence”. The approach allows human researchers to quickly identify and quarantine dangerous files by watching the activity of the ants.

The implications are tremendous. Anti-virus software that is commonly used today usually take up a lot of resources, and make computers slow down. With this new technology, we just might see a whole new breed of anti-virus programs. While everything is in the research and development phase still, it does give us a bright future in terms of fighting malware!

Do Not Be Annoyed by Pop Up Warnings by your Software

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For some people, seeing sudden pop-ups serving as warnings by protection software can be irritating. While it only shows that you were warned of a potential threat, some people do not really care that much as long as nothing goes wrong. There are some software options that allow you to turn it off. But for the sake of knowing what type of potential threat you may have had, it would be best to keep it on for a better understanding of what you are dealing with.

Most programs like BitDefender do this. Programs that combine anti-virus and anti-spyware protection can be sophisticated at times but the main issue here is that they are protecting you and not annoying you. So if you get a message telling you that they have blocked a potential threat to your computer is concerned, read it and then just discard it. It is the best way to understand what harmful objects are set out on the web today.

But once they are detected, what is a PC user supposed to do? In these cases it would be best to delete all the temporary files on your IE folder so that no trace of these harmful Trojans will remain.

Do not think that just because they were blocked, that is the end of it. They are still residing in your computer. So to ensure they are completely gone, delete all the temporary files at your control Panel by clicking on Internet options and deleting all cookies, temporary files and browsing histories.

MacGuard Posing as Malware for MACS

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The last thing you would hate is being taken for a ride as far as antivirus software is concerned. Antivirus protection is an important need in the world of computing and the last thing you would want to find out is that there are strings attached such as Malware.

MACS are known to be less prone to viruses. But that does not mean that MAC owners are taking viruses lightly. At the rate that viruses are being developed to invade various technology gadgets and software, it is just a matter of time before a virus infects a MAC.

There is software that is being marketed as a MAC antivirus software. However, there is something that more to it. In fact, you may even do harm to your computer by installing it and it goes by the name of MacGuard.

Actually, the MacGuard is just a clone to that fake Windows Security Software called Winiguard. WiniGuard is known for tricking users into buying it by serving up fake spyware alerts, and there’s no real reason to think that MacGuard does anything different or useful.

MacGuard also has the potential to bring other malware on to your system, so I’d recommend taking a pass on it and sticking with some well-known antivirus software (Norton, McAfee) if you’re concerned about the security of your system.

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