Malware Overview
Do you know what goes on under the hood of your car? Do you know the solution for a warning light on the dash? Do you know what's wrong with the car if it starts making strange noises or loses power?
Those same questions can be asked about your computer.
Computers can have many of the same problems as cars. Engine problems can cause cars to lose power, just like a large program can take up too much of the computer for anything else to run. Where an engine could "throw a rod" or "break a timing chain," computers can mysteriously reboot or die with the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death."
We expect that our car will bog down sometimes. You can't expect a car to perform as well when pulling a two-ton trailer up a five degree hill. Likewise, when a computer gets bogged down with a big project, you would expect it to respond a little slower.
What you don't expect is for either the car or the computer to bog down or die when we're not pushing so hard.
One of the things that "Malware" can do is exactly that. It forces the computer to work harder, taking power away from our programs. It would be like sneaking a dozen cinderblocks into the back of the family car right before the trip.
"Malware" is software that works without the user's knowledge and consent. Sometimes called "badware," it covers a wide range of programs, including computer viruses, spyware, adware, and more. Adware can bog down the computer, because it contacts websites to download fresh ads. Spyware collects data on you and the websites you visit and returns all of that data to the host website. And viruses just want to find a way to spread to other computers.
But most importantly, malware runs "under the hoood" and behind your back, so that you don't even know that it's there.
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Malware Overview Do you know what goes on under the hood of your car? Do you know the solution for ...
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Spyware Overview Imagine a program that watches your computer. It sits in memory, watching everything the computer does--the websites it ...
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The CIH Virus On April 26, 1999, systems around the world began dying. Something was both damaging information on hard ...
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Denial of Service Attack Imagine a group of junior high school kids who decide to play a prank on their ...
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History of Computer Viruses since 1989-1999 Robert Morris’s Internet Worm of 1988 was the biggest news in virus history for ...
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Firewalls and Proxies In building construction, a firewall is a structure designed to contain building fires. For example, an attic ...
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History of Computer Viruses to 1989 Science fiction writer David Gerrold wrote “When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One” and published it in ...
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Macro Viruses and the Melissa virus Microsoft thought it was doing it’s customers a favor by adding a programming language ...
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The Nimda Virus One of the most complex and dangerous viruses ever was the Nimda virus, in September 2001. Nimda ...
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Virus History – 2001 to Present After the flurry of viruses that haunted 2001, 2002 was amazingly quiet. Unfortunately, 2003 ...
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Legitimate Adware There are plenty of reasons why malware is "bad." Are there any times when malware is valid and ...
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Robert Tappan Morris and the Internet Worm Robert Tappan Morris claims he only wanted to measure the size of the ...
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Drive-By Downloads You’re surfing the Web, enjoying a quiet afternoon, when a window pops up on the screen. “New Windows ...
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Virus Hoaxes “Warning!,” the email screams. “There’s a new virus going around, and Microsoft says it’s the worst one yet!” ...
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Backdoor Programs It’s the ultimate nightmare for a computer user—the idea that someone outside the computer can take over. The ...
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History of Viruses, 1999 through 2001 The Melissa virus was the big story of 1999. Named after a lap dancer, ...
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Adware Overview Adware is advertising delivered directly to your computer. Generally, a program puts ads on the screen at some ...
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The Michelangelo Virus - Hype and Fizzle The Michelangelo virus was the first real appearance of computer virus hype in ...
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Home Page Hijacking and Browser Helper Objects Internet Explorer has a way for a website to add itself to the ...
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Virus Overview Computer Viruses are one of the biggest "bogeyman" of the Internet, and with attacks by Melissa, ILoveYou, Nimda, ...
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Disclaimer
The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.
This site is a common sense guide to Malware Overview . In practical advice websites, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.
This site is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.
Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional.
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Malware Overview
Spyware Overview
The CIH Virus
Denial of Service Attack
History of Computer Viruses since 1989-1999
Firewalls and Proxies
History of Computer Viruses to 1989
Macro Viruses and the Melissa virus
The Nimda Virus
Virus History – 2001 to Present
Legitimate Adware
Robert Tappan Morris and the Internet Worm
Drive-By Downloads
Virus Hoaxes
Backdoor Programs
History of Viruses, 1999 through 2001
Adware Overview
The Michelangelo Virus - Hype and Fizzle
Home Page Hijacking and Browser Helper Objects
Virus Overview
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