Malware - How it works and what you can do
February 18, 2008 – 11:23 amGoogle recently published an article on their ongoing investigation of malware on how it works. Malware is essentially anything that is installed on your computer to do something that you do not want: viruses, spy-ware, ad-ware, worms, etc. So what has Google found? Many (most) infections are caused by user ignorance.
Let me explain.
Many websites have advertisements. This is how they make their money. Because of this, malware distributors have found that they can link to websites which automatically download software to your computer without you ever knowing it. Why would they do this? Perhaps it’s to collect your personal information. Maybe it’s to analyze your online habits so they can advertise more effectively to you, or maybe they just enjoy being malicious. No matter the reason, there are some simple steps you can take to help maintain your computer, and to avoid having expensive computer tech bills.
1. Always have an updated antivirus program installed. If you don’t want to pay for McAfee or Norton, you can always download AVG Free Antivirus (http://www.grisoft.com/).
2. Don’t ever go to advertisers websites unless you know they are safe. I would only recommend going to advertising websites if it is from Google, Yahoo, or another MAJOR company. They have a reputation to maintain, and they will do anything to keep that reputation.
3. Run regular updates. I would actually recommend automatic updates if you are on Window’s XP. The automatic updater on Vista is not currently up to par, so be careful if you choose automatic updates on Vista.
4. Don’t use third party applications unless they have a strong reputation. There are many “holes” that can be programed into applications either intentionally or unintentionally. These holes can be exploited and cause you a lot of grief.
5. Don’t use an administrative account for your normal day-to-day work. Limited user accounts are not usually allowed to install applications. Administrative accounts can always install applications. Many of the malware injectors rely on the fact that you are using an administrative account for your day-to-day browsing.
Source: Google Online Security