Viruses, Worms and Trojans

Viruses, Worms and Trojans

Viruses and Worms

A virus is a small computer programme, often hidden within another programme, so that when the user runs the genuine programme, the virus is able to do whatever the designer intended, such as delete your files. A worm, on the other hand, is more self-contained. It is self-replicating and does not need to be part of any other computer programme or user action to begin its destructive actions.

While viruses and worms are becoming more sophisticated, protecting yourself against them is relatively simple. Follow these tips and you should be able to avoid the worst of cyber nuisances:

Install a firewall to prevent viruses and worms getting through. This will block unauthorised access to and from your PC or your network through your computer's ports. Install a good anti-virus utility.

Back up your hard drive or your network drive. With CD-writers so readily available and so inexpensive, backing up has become easier and faster than before. Back-up software lets you automate back-ups, making things even easier.

Get software that takes snapshots of your system. This lets you revert to the latest snapshot when things go wrong, so you can recover from a crash quickly. However, these snapshots are not back-ups of your system or files, so you still need to perform regular daily back-ups.

Do not open any emails from anyone you do not know. If you run a small business, make this a formal policy. If it's a potential business partner or someone who really wants to get in touch with you, they will call you over the phone if you don't reply to their messages.

Do not download applications or programmes if at all possible. If you do have to download one, scan it with your anti-virus application before executing it.

Turn your PC off. If you are using an always-on connection such as cable or DSL, turn off your PC when you are not using it. Always-on connections keep the same IP address, which makes it easy to locate your computer on the internet and makes it an easy target. Turning off your PC will prevent people from accessing it over the internet.

Malware and Trojan horse threats

Malware is software written to infect private computers and commit crimes such as fraud and identity theft - it has become big business in the cyber underworld. As a result, if you use a computer for web surfing, shopping, banking, email, instant messaging, and gaming without proper protection, you're at high risk of being victimised.

By exploiting vulnerabilities in operating systems and browsers, malware can sneak malicious Trojan-horse programmes onto unsecured PCs. Unsuspecting and unprotected users can also download Trojans, thinking they're legitimate game, music-player, movie, or greeting-card files. Trojans can also lurk in files shared between friends, family, and co-workers using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks.

Trojans have traditionally hidden in worms and viruses spread by email, but they're increasingly showing up in instant messages and on PDAs and mobiles. Organised crime rings have devised insidious new ways of delivering Trojans, so it's important to stay informed of the latest tricks. Protection against these multi-faceted attacks requires integrated anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware technologies.

What do Trojans do?

Trojans corrupt important files and place adware, spyware, keyloggers, and screen scrapers that can steal personal information. They can also redirect you to fake phishing websites - even when you type valid web addresses (URLs) into your browser.

Trojan programmes are most dangerous because they can create a back door into your computer that gives malicious hackers direct access to your system. Once installed, Trojans can hijack your PC and upload usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and bank account numbers to specified computers for as long as they remain undetected.

Hackers use chat rooms and peer-to-peer file sharing networks to target and hijack unsecured PCs. Once the Trojan opens a back door, the computer joins hordes of other "zombie" computers that the hacker can control remotely. The hacker can launch Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, generate ad traffic, send out infected software to other vulnerable computers, and pump out spam.

Cyber gangs even rent networks of these zombie computers (a.k.a. bots) by the hour to other criminals for extortion and

fraud. Users are rarely aware that their machines have been hijacked, since usually the only indicator is slightly slower performance.

A new trend in malware is to extort money. This ransomware is a Trojan that encrypts a PC's files or threatens to delete them one by one unless you pay up. After you pay using a money transfer service, the extortionist sends you a special disarming code or decryption application. Hackers also use Trojans to exploit weaknesses in legitimate banking, online bill paying, and e-commerce sites.

How does my PC get a Trojan?

Today, Trojans can be spread by browser drive-bys, where the programme is downloaded in the background when you simply surf to a rigged website. Shell code runs a Trojan that downloads additional payload code over HTTP - various forms of bots, spyware, back doors, and other Trojan programmes. Hackers then send phishing emails to lure you to websites, where unsuspecting victims are tricked into revealing personal information. Hackers can also exploit security weaknesses on sites, and then piggyback their Trojans onto legitimate software to be downloaded by trusting consumers.

Although hackers never stop developing new tricks to commit fraud and steal identities, you can take proactive steps to safeguard your systems. All it takes is a combination of robust security software and a commitment to following basic safety rules. Here are some additional security tips for protecting your computer:

Protect your computer with strong security software and make sure to keep it up to date. The McAfee® Internet Security Suite gives trusted PC protection from Trojans, hackers, spyware, and more. Its integrated anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, anti-spam, anti-phishing, and back-up technologies work together to combat today's advanced multi-faceted attacks. It scans disks, email attachments, files downloaded from the web, and documents generated by word-processing and spreadsheet programmes.

Enable automatic Windows® updates or download Microsoft® updates regularly to keep your operating system patched against known vulnerabilities. Install patches from other software manufacturers as soon as they are distributed. A fully patched computer behind a firewall is the best defense against Trojan and spyware installation.

Be careful when engaging in peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing. Trojans sit within file-sharing programmes waiting to be downloaded. Use the same precautions when downloading shared files that you do for email and IM. Avoid downloading files with the extensions .exe, .scr, .lnk, .bat, .vbs, .dll, .bin, and .cmd. Anti-virus software and a good firewall will protect your system from malicious files.

Download the latest version of your browser to ensure that it is also fully updated and utilises the latest technologies to identify and filter out phishing sites that can install Trojans.

Use security precautions for your PDA, mobile phone, and Wi-Fi devices. Trojans arrive as an email/IM attachment, are downloaded from the internet, or are uploaded along with other data from a desktop. Mobile phone viruses are in their infancy, but will become more common as more people buy phones with advanced features. Anti-virus software is available for PDAs and mobiles. McAfee also offers trusted security solutions for Wi-Fi.

Configure your instant-messaging application correctly. Make sure it does not open automatically when you fire up your computer. Turn off your computer and disconnect the DSL or modem line when you're not using it. Beware of spam-based phishing schemes - don't click links in emails or IM.

Above all – don't panic if you think you have a worm or Trojan. Use your security software to its fullest and use their websites for help on updated risks and solutions.

If You Care About Privacy Don’t Do These 8 Things

Personal security is something I deeply care about. The following are both privacy issues and a little personal security in there too.

1. Don’t throw away anything that can be used against you. For privacy and security reasons consider how someone could use something in your trash against you. I never toss anything with a name or account number on it and I’m careful not to toss DNA related stuff either. And I know people are saying that’s crazy. If it can be planted at a crime scene it’s flushed.

2. Don’t publish your phone number. Many data aggregators use phone company records to index you. Without a published phone number they have a harder time indexing your name associated with an address. My home phone number is under a pseudonym and it’s also under a business name.

3. Don’t allow your name to be searchable on Facebook or be on Facebook at all. I broke that rule but then again I'm not providing any personal information that can be used.

4. Don’t broadcast your location. Location-based services (LBS) are information and entertainment services, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device. Twitter, Facebook and others are getting in the game with LBS.  Carnegie Mellon University compiled more than 80 location services that don’t have privacy policies or collect and save all data for an indefinite amount of time. I see this more as a personal security issue.

5. Don’t post videos on Youtube that reveal your personal life. I have a business Youtube page and a personal. The iPhone has a direct connection to Youtube and it’s a blast taking video and quickly uploading. However, my personal page is under another name and all the videos are private. The only way to see them is to login.

6. Don’t forget to read privacy policies. I don’t like reading privacy policies because they are long winded and confusing. But not knowing what companies may do with your data is not good.

7. Don’t use your real name as a username. I broke this rule a few hundred times. It’s a privacy issue when you don’t shield your name. It’s a personal security issues not to grab your name allowing someone else to get it and use it against you. Get all of them at Knowem.com.

8. Don’t put your name on your mailbox or on a plaque on your home. All the postal carrier needs is a street number. There’s no reason to plaster your last name on your home either. I see this more as a personal security issue. But there are certainly privacy concerns here too.

Thanks.
Yours in Safety.

EFFECTS OF MIND ON CIRCUMSTANCES.

Various events and occurrencies as it unfolds arround us gears and rears us up in so many ways that we begin to wonder, and the questions that fills our mouth are why and how? unknowingly reaching deeper into the inner mind thereby setting it on motion which can either be passive/negative as well as being active/positive. The decision that makes up your mindset will reflect in the result of your goals and aspirations.

Human mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must and will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds willfall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.

Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires so may a man tend the garden of his mind, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful and pure thoughts. By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of hi life. He also reveals, within himself, the flaws of thought, and understands, with ever-increasing accuracy, how the thought-forces and mind elemets operate in the shaping of character, circumstance and destiny.

Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself throughenvironment and circumstances, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniusly related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are indications of his entire character, but that those circumstance are so intimately connected with some vital thought-element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development.

Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element chance, but all is the result of a law which can not err. This is just as true of those who feel out out of harmony with their surroundings as of those who are contentedwith them.

As a progressive and evolving being , man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances.

Man is buffeted by circumstances so long a he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.

That circumstances grow out of thought every man knows who has for any lenght of time practiced self-control and self-purification, for he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in exact ratio with his altred mental condition. So true is this that when a man earnestly applies himself to remedy the defects in his character, and make swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes. The soul attracts that which it secrectly harbours, that which it loves, and also that wjich it fears. It reachesthe height of its cherised aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchasteneds desires, and circumstances are the means by which the soul recieves its own.

Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstances. Good thought bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruits.

15 Windows XP Maintenance Tips and Tricks.

1. Useful key shortcuts available:

◦ Windows key + D - shows the desktop.

◦ Windows key + M - minimizes all open windows.

◦ Windows key + Shift + M - maximizes all open windows.

◦ Windows key + E - Runs Windows Explorer.

◦ Windows key + R - shows the RUN dialog.

◦ Windows key + F - shows Search window.

◦ Windows key + Break - shows System Properties box.

◦ Windows key + TAB - Go through taskbar applications.

◦ Windows key + PAUSE Display the System Properties dialog box.

◦ Windows key + U Open Utility Manager.

◦ ALT + TAB - Cycle through opened applications.

◦ Hold down CTRL while dragging an item to Copy it.

◦ CTRL + ESC Display the Start menu.

◦ ALT + ENTER View the properties for the selected item.

◦ F4 key Display the Address bar list in My Computer or

◦ NUM LOCK + Asterisk (*) Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder.

2. Lock Windows to protect computer :You can lock Windows to protect the computer when leaving the station easily by creating a shortcut with the path rundll32.exeuser32.dll, LockWorkStation. The Windows key + L is also a shortcut to this feature.

3. Edit sysoc.inf to list all software : To show all software that can be removed from your computer (including protected Windows services), you can manually edit (using notepad for example) the sysoc.inf file located in Windows\inf\. Just remove the word hide next to the software pack. Note - use this at your own risk. Removing critical components of the system will make Windows instable.

4. Windows XP comes with IPv4 and IPv6 :Windows XP comes both IPv4 and IPv6 support. To enable IPv6, you can install the protocols needed with the command "ipv6 install" in the command-prompt. Then type ipv6 /? to see the options. The installation will not remove the IPv4 protocols so your current configuration will still work.

5. Access Task Manager with shortcut :To access the Task Manager easier, you can make a shortcut that points to %windir%\system32\taskmgr.exe.

6. Stop treating ZIP files like Folders :If you don't want your Windows XP to treat ZIP files like folders, you can disable this component by running regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll at the command prompt or Run dialog. If you start missing it, you can enable it by typing regsvr32 zipfldr.dll.

7. Run program as diffrent user : You can run a program as a different user. Right click an application and select Run As command.

8. Switch users leaving applications opened :You can switch users leaving the applications opened too (*NOTE* use this only when needed since it could lead to system instability). Go to Task Manager - processes and end the process explorer.exe. This will end only your session and not all applications. Then go to Applications tab, click New task and type runas /user:domainname\username explorer.exe. A password prompt will appear to login to the desired username. The user's session will start, with all your previously applications running. I recommend to open first a command-line prompt and type runas /? to see all the options available.

9. Rename multiple files in Windows at once :Rename multiple files in Windows at once. Select them all, right click and select Rename. Enter the desired name. They will be renamed using what you specified, with a number in brackets to distinguish them.

10. Task kill feature in Windows :Windows has a task kill feature similar to Linux. Go to a command prompt and run the command tasklist to see running processes with PID numbers. Then type tskill to end the specific task. This forces an instant closing of the task.

11. Edit features with GPEDIT.MSC :You can edit many features by running gpedit.msc. You can add log on/log off scripts here and many features.

12. Edit accounts in the command prompt : You can edit accounts by running "control userpasswords2" at the command prompt.

13. Use systeminfo.exe to see System Information :You can use the systeminfo.exe command in the command prompt to see System Information, including all Windows updates and hotfixes.

14. Disable system services for maximum performance :There are system services that you can disable to free up the system's load. To access the interface that permits you to make changes to system's services, type services.msc and the command prompt. This is a list of services that are *usually* useless and can be safely disabled.

◦ Alerter

◦ Application Layer Gateway Service,

◦ Application Management

◦ Automatic Updates

◦ Background Intelligent Transfer

◦ Clipbook

◦ Distributed Link Tracking Client

◦ Distributed Transaction Coordinater

◦ Error Reporting Service

◦ Fast User Switching Compatibility

◦ IMAPI CD-Burning

◦ Indexing Service

◦ IPSEC Services

◦ Messenger

◦ Net Logon

◦ Net Meeting

◦ Remote Desktop Sharing

◦ Network DDE

◦ Network DDE DSDM

◦ Portable Media Serial Number

◦ Remote Desktop Help Session Manager

◦ Remote Registry

◦ Secondary Logon

◦ Smartcard

◦ SSDP Discovery Service

◦ Uninterruptible Power Supply

◦ Universal Plug and Play Device Host

◦ Upload Manager

◦ Webclient

◦ Wireless Zero Configuration

◦ WMI Performance Adaptor

NOTE: Make sure you don't need them since some applications you're using could depend on them. If you make any application to fail by disabling any of the services, go back and enable it again.

15. Repair Windows XP by using the XP installation CD: If your system failes to start due to an error related to missing HAL.DLL, invalid Boot.ini or any other critical system boot files you can repair this by using the XP installation CD. Simply boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console. Then run "attrib -H -R -S" on the C:\Boot.ini file and delete it. Run "Bootcfg /Rebuild" and then Fixboot.

Internet Error Codes.

Sometime you are browsing the internet and trying to open any website, your e-mail and any FTP sites , but you see different error codes there. You should be familiar with these error codes. You can solve these problems if you are well-known with the meaning of error codes.

Error Codes

400 - This is bad request error, First check you may be typing wrong URL name and server could not understand your request.

401 - You are trying to open any unauthorized access site or page. Check your username and password if you are trying to open any webpage.

402 - Payment Required Error

403 - You are trying to open any forbidden page and you are blocked by that domain.

404 - Here you are trying to open the webpage that was removed or re-named, also check the URL spelling.

408 - This is time out error. you should send the request with in time that the server set for you.

Getting over Drug Addiction

Drug and alcohol addiction has become a real problem for our society. There are a lot of people who do not start out looking for trouble but along the way pick up a bad habit that they are later unable to shake of. A lot of these people end up in prison because they are not in their senses and end up committing a crime or because they turn to crime to help support their own habit. A person who is suffering from drug addiction will end up hurting a lot of people. They become emotionally unstable and are a danger to the people around them; more importantly they are a danger to themselves. People who are addicted to a drug end up hurting themselves more than anyone else. If you realize that you have a problem or know a loved one who is suffering from an addiction then you need to get help. It is a problem that needs to be dealt with as it is not an easy habit to kick. Thankfully over the last decade the awareness about drug addiction has increased and today there are a number of drug addiction treatment centers that you can turn to for help. In this article we will find out what you should look for in a drug addiction treatment center and how you can get drug addiction help.

Dealing with drug addiction on your own can be very overwhelming and you will find that it is not very effective. When dealing with this issue it is best to get professional help. Even the law is encouraging people to seek help from rehabilitation centers instead of simply throwing users in jail. When you are choosing a drug addiction treatment center it is best to look at facilities that offer long term care as dealing with this addiction can be a very lengthy process. The facility should have been in operation for a long time as this generally means that they have experience dealing with the problem. Finding the correct drug addiction treatment center requires a lot of research and homework. You need to put in the effort to find out as much information as you can before you choose a facility. The facility you are considering should be able to provide a lot of information about their techniques and policies. This will allow you to study the material and decide if the place suits you without feeling embarrassed about asking questions.

You should find out if the addiction treatment center provides inpatient as well as out patient services or only one of the two. This is important as you will need to know what kind of support you can expect once you have left the facility. Take a look at the facilities success rates and don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a question of you and your loved one's life you should make sure that you choose the treatment center with care.

In order to rank highly in the search engines like Google, you typically need backlinks. Ideally they should come from high popularity sites but in any case the more you have the higher a ranking you can expect.


A backlink checker tool is a great way to help ensure that you are getting the backlinks you expect. Here is some useful information on these tools. A backlink checker tool tells you how many inbound links are coming to your website.

If you are paying for these links this is important information to know. It is easy to find backlink tools. Many of them are totally cost free while others may incur a modest charge but they offer additional features.

A number of these tools are based online. You enter the website you want to check and it will report the number of backlinks and where they are coming from.

The useful thing about this is that you can typically find out the quality and relevance of the backlinks by examining the websites in which the backlinks originate from.

For example backlinks from high ranking and high PR websites are typically much more effective in raising your search engine rankings than backlinks from lower PR websites. The best places to get backlinks are .gov or .edu websites.

However, these tend to be much more difficult to obtain. The backlink checker tool can help identify how well your backlink building efforts are doing.

You can see if they are increasing and identify the types of backlinks you are receiving. In this way you can better understand if you should expect your rankings to increase. In addition, you can also determine if you need to put forth greater effort to get more relevant backlinks from high PR websites in order to increase your website rankings.

A backlink checker tool is also a very helpful way for you to determine the number and quality of backlinks your competitors are achieving. This can help you understand what you need to do to improve your results and better target your backlink building activities.

As you can see, a backlink checker tool is a very vital and useful tool to help assess your website ranking efforts. The tools are easy to use and the cost is very low.

Do an Internet search for backlink checker tools and you'll find many options to consider. If you try several of them, you'll most likely end up with a great tool to assist you in your link building and website ranking activities

Best Website Design Tips.

These are important to spread your message across the globe. Website has deep impact over your company's image. It is one of the tool which affect your sale and in turn your profits. It is online shop for you which never close.


There are couple of things you still don't know yet in creating best website design. You still have to walk miles if you don't heard professional website designers praising your site. You may have good content on your website but if it doesn't follow the rules of the best website design it won't be much popular. So what are that rules?

Colors
You may have notice that professionally design websites have one thing in common and that is the color schemes. No matter they design or redesign their websites at intervals but they follow the color scheme. Color scheme makes your website neat and fantastic. It indicates that website is well thought of and not just done anything overnight. You can think of your logo of your website for your color scheme or you can choose two or three complimentary colors. If you still have confusion about the color scheme you can surf the web and select some good sites for examples of the color scheme.

Background
The best website design is that uses font color and background complimentary to each other. Use light font color if your background is dark and dark font color if background is light. It is easier to read this way. Don't use image as background as it takes lots of time to load.

Layout
Make common layout for all pages. The position of the menu, location of the logo, placement of the links and important common details must be the same in all websites pages. This makes browsing time faster and easier for their visitors as well.

Features
If your website is more than 15 pages then you should include the search and site map features in it. This ensure that visitors can find easily whatever they want. These features must be available for all pages of the website.

Content
Content is king in a website. It needs some enhancement so make important content highlighted. Before doing anything you assure that content is of good quality. Excellent website performance is not possible without the excellent content. In doing so don't over emphasis the content and only highlight the important one.

COMPUTER REPAIR, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

In this age of modern technology, computer and its related gadgets like laptops and notebooks are found in almost every house. Since their usage is immense so is their wear and tear. More often than not, we are left stranded due to some or the other problem related to computer repair.

From virus to Trojan horses, anything may hit your computer especially if you are connected to the internet. Software and hardware problems are the two main reasons making us go to a computer repair agency. Other than hardware and software installation, there are other services which are offered by these agencies like Memory upgrades, PC Installation, Virus check, Fault finding and repair, Access to the internet, Home network setup, Data backup and restore and Laptop Repair.

Software repair is usually the installation of the software. Care must be taken that only authentic and licensed software is being used by the computer repair guys to install in your system. Installing anything other than that such as pirated or free version of software amounts to software piracy and is punishable by law. It could also pose problems for the user later on. Also, pirated software cannot be fixed in terms of technical glitches. It simply has to be reloaded. Your precious data might also get corrupted.

On the other hand, hardware repair is a little tricky job. Most often the person doing the computer repair has to check why a particular piece of hardware is not working and how to rectify the problem. Of course! Putting in a new piece and fixing it is a solution, but a costly one. At times, a particular hardware may not work with the software because they are simply not compatible with each other. This is one such problem faced by many who do computer repair.

Keeping Safe Online - Viruses, Worms and Trojans.

Viruses, Worms and Trojans

Viruses and Worms

A virus is a small computer programme, often hidden within another programme, so that when the user runs the genuine programme, the virus is able to do whatever the designer intended, such as delete your files. A worm, on the other hand, is more self-contained. It is self-replicating and does not need to be part of any other computer programme or user action to begin its destructive actions.

While viruses and worms are becoming more sophisticated, protecting yourself against them is relatively simple. Follow these tips and you should be able to avoid the worst of cyber nuisances:

Install a firewall to prevent viruses and worms getting through. This will block unauthorised access to and from your PC or your network through your computer's ports. Install a good anti-virus utility.

Back up your hard drive or your network drive. With CD-writers so readily available and so inexpensive, backing up has become easier and faster than before. Back-up software lets you automate back-ups, making things even easier.

Get software that takes snapshots of your system. This lets you revert to the latest snapshot when things go wrong, so you can recover from a crash quickly. However, these snapshots are not back-ups of your system or files, so you still need to perform regular daily back-ups.

Do not open any emails from anyone you do not know. If you run a small business, make this a formal policy. If it's a potential business partner or someone who really wants to get in touch with you, they will call you over the phone if you don't reply to their messages.

Do not download applications or programmes if at all possible. If you do have to download one, scan it with your anti-virus application before executing it.

Turn your PC off. If you are using an always-on connection such as cable or DSL, turn off your PC when you are not using it. Always-on connections keep the same IP address, which makes it easy to locate your computer on the internet and makes it an easy target. Turning off your PC will prevent people from accessing it over the internet.

Malware and Trojan horse threats

Malware is software written to infect private computers and commit crimes such as fraud and identity theft - it has become big business in the cyber underworld. As a result, if you use a computer for web surfing, shopping, banking, email, instant messaging, and gaming without proper protection, you're at high risk of being victimised.

By exploiting vulnerabilities in operating systems and browsers, malware can sneak malicious Trojan-horse programmes onto unsecured PCs. Unsuspecting and unprotected users can also download Trojans, thinking they're legitimate game, music-player, movie, or greeting-card files. Trojans can also lurk in files shared between friends, family, and co-workers using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks.

Trojans have traditionally hidden in worms and viruses spread by email, but they're increasingly showing up in instant messages and on PDAs and mobiles. Organised crime rings have devised insidious new ways of delivering Trojans, so it's important to stay informed of the latest tricks. Protection against these multi-faceted attacks requires integrated anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware technologies.

What do Trojans do?

Trojans corrupt important files and place adware, spyware, keyloggers, and screen scrapers that can steal personal information. They can also redirect you to fake phishing websites - even when you type valid web addresses (URLs) into your browser.

Trojan programmes are most dangerous because they can create a back door into your computer that gives malicious hackers direct access to your system. Once installed, Trojans can hijack your PC and upload usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and bank account numbers to specified computers for as long as they remain undetected.

Hackers use chat rooms and peer-to-peer file sharing networks to target and hijack unsecured PCs. Once the Trojan opens a back door, the computer joins hordes of other "zombie" computers that the hacker can control remotely. The hacker can launch Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, generate ad traffic, send out infected software to other vulnerable computers, and pump out spam.

fraud. Users are rarely aware that their machines have been hijacked, since usually the only indicator is slightly slower performance.

A new trend in malware is to extort money. This ransomware is a Trojan that encrypts a PC's files or threatens to delete them one by one unless you pay up. After you pay using a money transfer service, the extortionist sends you a special disarming code or decryption application. Hackers also use Trojans to exploit weaknesses in legitimate banking, online bill paying, and e-commerce sites.

How does my PC get a Trojan?

Today, Trojans can be spread by browser drive-bys, where the programme is downloaded in the background when you simply surf to a rigged website. Shell code runs a Trojan that downloads additional payload code over HTTP - various forms of bots, spyware, back doors, and other Trojan programmes. Hackers then send phishing emails to lure you to websites, where unsuspecting victims are tricked into revealing personal information. Hackers can also exploit security weaknesses on sites, and then piggyback their Trojans onto legitimate software to be downloaded by trusting consumers.

Although hackers never stop developing new tricks to commit fraud and steal identities, you can take proactive steps to safeguard your systems. All it takes is a combination of robust security software and a commitment to following basic safety rules. Here are some additional security tips for protecting your computer:

Protect your computer with strong security software and make sure to keep it up to date. The McAfee® Internet Security Suite gives trusted PC protection from Trojans, hackers, spyware, and more. Its integrated anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, anti-spam, anti-phishing, and back-up technologies work together to combat today's advanced multi-faceted attacks. It scans disks, email attachments, files downloaded from the web, and documents generated by word-processing and spreadsheet programmes.

Enable automatic Windows® updates or download Microsoft® updates regularly to keep your operating system patched against known vulnerabilities. Install patches from other software manufacturers as soon as they are distributed. A fully patched computer behind a firewall is the best defense against Trojan and spyware installation.

Be careful when engaging in peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing. Trojans sit within file-sharing programmes waiting to be downloaded. Use the same precautions when downloading shared files that you do for email and IM. Avoid downloading files with the extensions .exe, .scr, .lnk, .bat, .vbs, .dll, .bin, and .cmd. Anti-virus software and a good firewall will protect your system from malicious files.

Download the latest version of your browser to ensure that it is also fully updated and utilises the latest technologies to identify and filter out phishing sites that can install Trojans.

Use security precautions for your PDA, mobile phone, and Wi-Fi devices. Trojans arrive as an email/IM attachment, are downloaded from the internet, or are uploaded along with other data from a desktop. Mobile phone viruses are in their infancy, but will become more common as more people buy phones with advanced features. Anti-virus software is available for PDAs and mobiles. McAfee also offers trusted security solutions for Wi-Fi.

Configure your instant-messaging application correctly. Make sure it does not open automatically when you fire up your computer. Turn off your computer and disconnect the DSL or modem line when you're not using it. Beware of spam-based phishing schemes - don't click links in emails or IM.

Above all – don't panic if you think you have a worm or Trojan. Use your security software to its fullest and use their websites for help on updated risks and solutions.

Thanks

Stay safe.