Preventing and removing malware from your PC22 August 2005
Malware is a general term used to describe 'malicious' software. It includes viruses designed to damage your computer or the files you have and Trojans used to take control of your computer. It also covers spyware which can track the websites you visit, and worms which multiply across the Internet and infect computers without their owners knowing anything about it.
Computers can be infected with malware in several ways. Sometimes it arrives in e-mails, and sometimes when you download and install software which seems legitimate but comes bundled with unpleasant extras. Some malware can simply find an unprotected computer and install itself.
Preventing malware
Malware can be very difficult to remove from your computer, so it is a good idea to prevent it infecting your system in the first place.
Your first line of defence is to install an anti-virus software package and a firewall. But security involves more than simply installing a good software package and forgetting about it. Good practice is needed in order to ensure the protection you have continues to be effective.
- New viruses are released at an alarming rate, so it is essential to keep your anti-virus software up to date. A subscription service will allow you to automate this task so that your system checks for software updates weekly or even daily.
- Stay aware of the latest threats by regularly checking your software publisher's website and acting on any advice they give about newly discovered dangers.
- Get a two-way firewall. Many virus checkers now come with effective firewalls which both inform you about unauthorised attempts to access your system and warn you if a program on your system is attempting to access the Internet.
- Back up your data regularly and transfer it to removable memory such as CD-ROM, so that if disaster strikes your business will not lose anything valuable. If you have a website which changes frequently, arrange with your hosting provider to provide backup at least once a day.
- Formulate a policy governing safe downloads and e-mail use - you won¿t eliminate the dangers altogether but by playing safe you can get rid of most potential problems.
Removing malware
You also need to think about how you will get rid of malware if your business is unfortunate enough to be attacked.
- You can use the Add/Remove Programs control panel in Windows to get rid of some malware. Click on 'Start' and then 'Control Panel', and select the option to 'Add/Remove Programs'. Browse the list of installed programs to find ones you don't recognise.
- You can also use freeware (free-of-charge software that you can download from the Internet) to scan for and remove malware. Programs like Lavasoft's AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy are specifically designed to identify and remove adware and spyware.
- You can often remove viruses simply by updating the virus definitions in your anti-virus software and then doing a complete system scan. Check the website of your anti-virus software provider to keep aware of the latest threats - they usually include detailed removal instructions for more tricky viruses.
- Sometimes, malware resists your efforts by repairing itself whenever you try to remove it. Use Google's Usenet archive of discussion forums to search for the names of persistent bits of malware - often, others who have encountered the same problem will have posted instructions for its removal.
