Are For-Profit Malware Authors Working Smarter and Harder Than Your Antivirus Software Developer?
Malware is short for malicious software, software created to penetrate your computer's defenses without your consent.
The term commonly used to describe malware is computer viruses, which serves as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, including true viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, most root-kits, spyware, corrupt adware, attack-ware and other malicious and unwanted software.
Today malware is evolving so fast, it is difficult for new anti-virus applications to capture and immunize every personal or business computer from of all the variations created.
There is a for-profit malware contingency who use dedicated test labs and other professional methods to improve their chances of infecting your computer.
They employ techniques which outpace security software maker's capabilities, requiring anti virus developer's to constantly battle back and forth in an attempt to cull the for-profit malware developer's element of surprise.
VirusTotal.
com and other online virus checking web sites used by antivirus developers and normal personal computer users are also being utilized by the malware bad guys for easier testing of their malware's ability to bypass existing security.
These malware writers opt out of the option to submit their virus testing finding to member security companies, even though these online anti-virus checking web sites are equipped with such an option.
The smart PC user should never be totally comfortable and assume that their computer is immune to attack because they have just received a recent up date of their anti-virus, malware, or spyware security program.
However, this does not mean you should throw in the towel and relinquish all hope to the inescapable computer virus infection.
Be assured a good security program can go a long way towards keeping you in control of your PC and on top of potential contamination.
Always make sure all of your computer security software contains all the newest modifications and virus database updates.
This will usually detect 98 percent of the variants.
Layer your security efforts by including firewalls and behavioral scanners which detect malware based on its behavior instead of its signature.
Keep all of your computers applications, internet browsers, as well as operating systems and PC application that run on your system up-to-date to thwart all possible means of attack.
Assume that every unexpected email attachment you receive is a potential attack and confirm with the sender it safety before opening it.
This social-engineering tactic alone will do more to halt the newest and hardest to detect malware and block large chucks of potential infections.
Unfortunately, at this time it is not possible to stop every malware variant that is floating around cyberspace, but that does not mean you are helplessly vulnerable.
If you maintain sensible precautions, in addition to running your updated security tools regularly, you can prevent these malware authors from getting a leg up on you.
The term commonly used to describe malware is computer viruses, which serves as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, including true viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, most root-kits, spyware, corrupt adware, attack-ware and other malicious and unwanted software.
Today malware is evolving so fast, it is difficult for new anti-virus applications to capture and immunize every personal or business computer from of all the variations created.
There is a for-profit malware contingency who use dedicated test labs and other professional methods to improve their chances of infecting your computer.
They employ techniques which outpace security software maker's capabilities, requiring anti virus developer's to constantly battle back and forth in an attempt to cull the for-profit malware developer's element of surprise.
VirusTotal.
com and other online virus checking web sites used by antivirus developers and normal personal computer users are also being utilized by the malware bad guys for easier testing of their malware's ability to bypass existing security.
These malware writers opt out of the option to submit their virus testing finding to member security companies, even though these online anti-virus checking web sites are equipped with such an option.
The smart PC user should never be totally comfortable and assume that their computer is immune to attack because they have just received a recent up date of their anti-virus, malware, or spyware security program.
However, this does not mean you should throw in the towel and relinquish all hope to the inescapable computer virus infection.
Be assured a good security program can go a long way towards keeping you in control of your PC and on top of potential contamination.
Always make sure all of your computer security software contains all the newest modifications and virus database updates.
This will usually detect 98 percent of the variants.
Layer your security efforts by including firewalls and behavioral scanners which detect malware based on its behavior instead of its signature.
Keep all of your computers applications, internet browsers, as well as operating systems and PC application that run on your system up-to-date to thwart all possible means of attack.
Assume that every unexpected email attachment you receive is a potential attack and confirm with the sender it safety before opening it.
This social-engineering tactic alone will do more to halt the newest and hardest to detect malware and block large chucks of potential infections.
Unfortunately, at this time it is not possible to stop every malware variant that is floating around cyberspace, but that does not mean you are helplessly vulnerable.
If you maintain sensible precautions, in addition to running your updated security tools regularly, you can prevent these malware authors from getting a leg up on you.
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