Computer Worms

This article is about the three most common types of malicious software with emphasis on computer worms. Since we all use computers in our internet marketing businesses, we need to be aware of the dangers.

Viruses, Trojans and worms are the 3 common types of malware i.e. malicious software, and out of them the worms are the deadliest as they can function without any human intervention. Similar to viruses, worms also have capability to replicate themselves but are self contained i.e. they do not need a host program for propagation unlike viruses. Worms more commonly affect computer networks consisting of servers, routers and clients, even though they can cause damage similar to viruses like deletion of files, corruption of programs etc. Since the internet is just a large network of computer networks, it is very much susceptible to worm attacks.

Servers are powerful PCs with large storage capacity and store common resources that are shared by other PCs or clients in the network. Routers are used for routing network traffic and are nothing but specialized servers with customized operating system. Once released into a network, worms can replicate by themselves and hog the CPU time leaving little time for other programs to run. This leaves the network continuously busy and slows down network traffic.

Computer Worms or virus worms carry other types of malware called payloads with them. It can be spyware which surreptitiously monitors the activities of the computer or backdoor installation programs which act as hidden access points in the network and can be used to send spam or steal data or programs from the computer by hackers. My doom is a fast spreading worm discovered in January 2004. It was spread through emails containing the message ‘Andy, I’m just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry’. The creator of the worm was never identified but it is believed to be directed at the website of the company Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), in order slow down traffic to the website. It soon spread to other internet sites slowing down the entire internet considerably

The computer worms payload can cause considerable damage to a computer in a network by switching off antivirus functions, opening up computer ports etc. The latter can allow data transfer to computers outside the network or delete files stealthily.

De-worming

Firewalls are designed to control network traffic and can act as shield to computers in the network by effectively cloaking them. They are reasonably effective in saving computer from worm attacks. However, worms can be distributed through emails as attachments and hence caution should be exercised when opening mail from unknown sources or unexpected files from a known source. Despite all precautions, worms may get into your system whose symptoms are slowing down of internet access, automatic reboots or sluggishness of the system. If any of these symptoms are noticed, the computer should be scanned by antivirus software immediately. If it does not help, instruction manuals on the internet could be consulted for effective de worming.

After reading this article you should now understand why if you didn’t before how important good antivirus software is to your computer system.

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Large corporations like Microsoft have even been exposed to virus attacks that is why preventing viruses from attacking computers has nearly become an obsession for anti virus software developers. Computers all over the world are not immune to increased virus threats these days.

Before the advent of internet, the spread of computer viruses was largely limited to manual transmission through floppy disks. Hence it was much easier to detect and eliminate viruses before they could do any large scale damage to a computer system. All that was required was a scan of the floppy disk by antivirus software before copying the files from it to the computer. The spread of the virus to other computers was thus slow.

The rising popularity of internet has changed the situation completely. The virus can now spread very fast from one system to another through internet as the medium. The virus could spread through various means: emails and their attachments, instant messages, peer to peer to sharing of files, software downloads etc. They can spread automatically without any manual intervention and can enter the system in multiple ways, exposing the vulnerability of the system. With the convergence of technologies like computers and communication through mobile devices, the threat of computer viruses is raising by the day.

Protecting the computer from viruses

The antivirus software technology has kept pace with the various types of virus threats and has become inseparable part of a computer system today. The antivirus software products can thwart attempts by viruses to enter a computer system through emails, internet browsers, file servers and other desktops in a network. They also have a centralized system of deploying the software as well configuring it to a particular system and updating of the software.

The following lists some of the steps a computer user must take for protection against virus threats.

1. The first step in protecting your computer system against viruses is to evaluate the current antivirus software that is being used to find out if it is adequate and covers all possible forms of threats. A computer network with desktops and servers with connection to the internet requires anti virus software with many features like firewall, antivirus, content filtering and spyware detection. All the components of the system like desktops, server, gateway etc. need to be protected from external threats.

2. The antivirus software needs to be regularly updated against new virus threats emerging everyday. The reputation of the company that developed the antivirus software is important in this respect. The software should have real time scanning feature that automatically starts scanning the files in the computer as well as any incoming messages, software etc. when the system is booted up.

3. All new programs should be compulsorily scanned irrespective of their place of origin.

4. Attachments to emails or instant messages in any form from unknown sources should not be opened without ascertaining that they are free from virus.

5. In case of a virus attack make sure you take regular backups of important files in the system. Doing this will ensure quick recovery of your system.

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