Protect Your Computer.

[XHunter]

The Following is a list of this you should do, to make sure your computer is safe from Spy-ware, Hi-Jackers, Viruses .. Etc.....

What to Turn off

Right click on "My Computer" and choose "Properties"

- Remote Access - A MUST
Turn this off because this allows someone from another computer to have access / take control of your computer at anytime.

- System Restore - Optional
Its not bad per say but some Spy-Ware and Viruses will hide themselves in your System Restore Point so when you delete them they can keep coming back on to your computer every time you use a system restore.

- Windows Firewall
Go to "Start" and then "Control Panel" then click "Security Center" disable the Windows Firewall.

Get

ZoneAlarm (Free) FireWall


AVG (Free) Anti-Virus


Ad-Ware (Free) Spy-Ware Killer


Spybot S&D Spy-Ware Killer


CCleaner (Free) Registry Cleaner + Misc


RockXP (Free) Password Recovery + Misc


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Below explains what Viruses are and what they do and why you need to have your computer protected

Writen by genericnumber1 (Woot! for you buddy)
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Viruses are self replication malicious code that spread themselves by embedding their's processes in other programs.

To be a virus it must...
A) Execute itself, this may be by setting itself to run when other programs run, or by being set off by a computer user looking for a computer game hack and running an executable downloaded from a malicious location
B) Replicate itself, as stated earlier: to be a virus it must replicate itself into other programs and processes

Viruses most of the time seek to..
A) Piss you off!

A: Piss you off!
We all know it, some virus makers are just jerks that want to make you format your computer, or be forced to buy a new video card because the virus over clocked and overheated your old one. Some sick virus makers love nothing more than to delete your windows system files for kicks.

There are many other reasons for viruses, but this is the main.




Trojans are malicious code that act like something useful (Hey! a picture of john Goodman eating a sandwich!) but in fact they are malicious

Trojan Horses are normally spread by...
A) Evil websites with free stuff you can download!
B) Using IE on the above evil websites. IE is the most used and least secure browser, which is why it is the target for so many security vulnerabilities, when it comes to trojans there is no exception.
C) Using Outlook has a lot of the same vulnerabilities as IE even if you don’t use IE directly.

Trojans most of the time seeks to...
A) Gain valuable information from your computer
B) Turn your computer into a "zombie computer"
C) Gain remote access to your computer
D) Spread a virus or worm

A: Gain valuable information from your computer
While viruses probably won’t be looking for your password to this forum, or be trying to steal your English essay on Benjamin Franklin; a virus may be seeking to steal your password to your online banking, or to your paypal account.

B: Turn your computer into a "zombie computer"
Hackers and the like always need to be anonymous as to not get caught, correct? But that can be a problem with all the security logging software out today, that is where "zombie computers" come in. Performing a job always works better with more manpower, this is no different with hacking: to do more advanced and more secure hacking, more manpower (or computing power in this case) is very very helpful. Hackers will often proxy (basically jump) through zombie computers to remain anonymous or do things that require a lot of different internet connections.

I wont go into detail on the techniques in question but to give you an example: a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. A DoS attack basically sends a bunch of useless information (null packets, just a fun phrase) to a target computer, the target computer must then recieve this information.. realize it's useless... and then get rid of it. If a hacker uses a huge network of zombie computers to send this useless information at this target computer, it becomes so bogged down with processing all this information that the internet stops functioning properly because all of it's internet bandwidth is being taken up by this useless information.

C: Gain remote access to your computer
Know what's fun? moving your mouse and having someone else's mouse move, that's what! And while trojans rarely go this far they can gain access to a dos prompt or something similar on your computer and control it from a distant computer (Sometimes a zombie computer, see above) and besides! Wouldn't it be fun to open and close someone else's computer trays?!

D: Spread a virus or worm
A trojan can also try to install viruses or worms to your computer.

OF COURSE there are more of these as well.



A worm is self replicating computer code (sound familiar?) the difference between a worm and a virus is that they don't need to attach themselves to running programs, this is why they are so much more versatile (and dangerous) A worm can AND WILL travel through your home network to infect other computers.

They seek to do what all the above malicious software do.



Fun fact: When a trojan is used to install a virus or worm it is called a dropper.
Fun fact: When a malicious program waits until a certain time to start working, the code that starts is called a "payload". Normally the time that it activates has some meaning to the code writer, maybe the day an ex girlfriend broke up with the virus writer.. (I LOVE YOU KAREN)

[ZXVanX]

I'm downloading and installing all of those! thanks for recommending and sharing with us XHunter!

[Reiko]