Maintaining Your Computer: Security

In order to make your computer-use as stress-free as possible, it's important to protect your computer from outside threats. It's hard enough sometimes just keeping your computer running, but, believe it or not, there are people out there who actually want to steal your personal information, trick you into buying something or simply trash your computer.

Threats can attack your computer in a variety of ways:

• Viruses are small programs that piggyback on other software. When the host program or file runs (say a Word document or a Webpage), then the virus is run potentially causing damage to your computer and reproducing itself in other programs or documents.
• An E-mail virus moves from host to host through an email message or attachment. It usually replicates itself by obtaining email addresses in the victim's address book.
• A Worm is a program that takes advantage of computer network vulnerabilities. The worm may randomly generate IP addresses in search of its next victim. Once it finds a new host, it copies itself to the victim machine and starts the process all over again.
• Trojans are computer programs that appear to be beneficial or useful, but turns out to contain harmful code. Trojans are often found in spam email or on malicious Websites that offer free games, images or Trojans cannot replicate automatically.

Another layer of infection comes in the form of Adware or Spyware, sometimes called Scumware. These are programs have a variety of delivery methods, often a Worm or Trojan. Their job is not so much to destroy your computer (though that might be one outcome), but rather to spy on you, steal information, force you buy something or simply embarrass you. These programs may do anything from change your browser's default page to complete a detailed dossier of every Webpage you visit and every character you type and send them on to a "marketer" for analysis and sales.

Continue with Part Two: How to Protect Yourself