Why Do People Create Computer Viruses and Malware?
This is a question I get asked very often when cleaning a computer for a customer.   An article from Technibble explains that there are primarily 5 reasons or categories that explain why people create computer viruses and malware.
- To take control of a computer and use it for specific tasks
- To generate money
- To steal sensitive information (credit card numbers, passwords, personal details, data etc.)
- To prove a point, to prove it can be done, to prove ones skill or for revenge purposes
- To cripple a computer or network
Read the full article here:
http://www.technibble.com/why-do-people-create-computer-viruses/
Though this article is from 2007 it still holds true in today's world.    The reasons are the same and the infections are still there, albeit just in a differing variations.   While some of these reasons are less frequent such as crippling computers or networks, others such as those for financial gain or the stealing of sensitive information are on the rise.
There are some infections that use viruses to achieve multiple objectives. For example you can have an infection that tries to scam you out of your money to pay for Software to fix the infection. When you purchase the software for this supposed Fix, you end up downloading another piece of malicious software. This in turn could be used to spread it to other machines or steal sensitive information from your PC.  Infections like this are quite common these days.  It is important for the user who has contracted an infection to keep an eye on your Credit Cards for unauthorized charges as well as your bank account.  Remember that one infection usually open doors to other infections on your PC.
Viruses are not going away anytime soon.  There will always be people who create viruses for financial gain.   There will always be people who create viruses to test their skills against Microsoft's and Antivirus software's Security.    There will always be some people with malicious intent on destroying computers and their networks. The truth is that there is always an incentive for people to create viruses and malware. Whether it be financial or personal satisfaction or malicious in nature, there is an incentive to continue making new viruses and malware and for that reason, we will not be seeing the end of viruses and malware for a long long time.
Have any other reasons you think people create computer viruses and malware?  Feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week.
Steve
Twitter and Facebook Being Used By Scammers to Spread Infections
A recent article from TechCrunch mentions how Twitter is now being used by Scammers to lure potential victims to their scams. Â Read the full article here:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/28/twitter-crime/
Most people already are familiar with Facebook and the infections that can be spread through it. Just yesterday I worked on a customer's PC with the Koobface Worm. In addition to it the machine was heavily infected. Scammers and Virus makers realize how much Facebook and Twitter are being used everyday by people. Twitter and Facebook are excellent places to trick people into clicking on a bogus links and infecting machines.   The value in using these tools as that so many people are using them that the Scammers are bound to catch some people. Facebook recently announced they had over 500 million users.  That is quite a tasty morsel to a Scammer or Virus maker.  Even if the success rate is only 1% out of 500 million, that is 5 million more machines to spread the infection to others.
Twitter has almost 100 million users now. 1% of that is still 1 million. You can easily see why Facebook and Twitter are going to be used in this fashion by Scammers and Virus makers. Many businesses and companies are on Facebook and Twitter for legitimate reasons.  They want to reach more customers, engage with the community and spread the word about their products or services. The Scammers and Virus Creators are doing the same thing, trying to spread their infections and scam more people out of their hard earned money by reaching out to as many people as possible. You can bet if a new Social Media Idea comes along, and grows in popularity like Facebook or Twitter has, that it too will become a target for Scammers and Virus Makers as well.
If you are one of the 500 million users of Facebook or one of the 100 million users of Twitter, you need to be extra careful with clicking on links you are not sure of. If it looks suspicious don't click it.  With Twitter and it's short links you need to be sure of the source when following a link. Check the user to see if they have any followers? Do they Follow anybody? How many Tweets do they have? Again if it doesn't appear legit, don't click.
Twitter and Facebook are immensely popular and probably will be around for at least the next few years.   Scammers and Virus makers know this and will use it to their advantage. As a user of these Social Media tools you just need to use your wits and be suspicious. If you do get an infection, remove it as quickly as possible with your Security Software or have a professional do it for you.
Thanks for reading and comments are always welcome.
Steve
www.zolexpc.com
Do Not Wait to Get Your PC Fixed If It Is Infected
Recently I had a customer who came to us stating that their PC was infected and they were no longer able to connect to the Internet.  The PC had been infected for a month or so but they had waited to get rid of the infection.  The longer you wait to fix your PC when it is infected the more damage the infection can do to your PC.   There are many variants of Worms and Trojans that can eat/delete files on your PC over time. Some files may be specifically targeted such as your Antivirus Software, or vital Windows System Files. Others may be non-important files that you may not notice missing.   Viruses and other associated Malware come in all sorts of shapes and varieties. They have the ability to modify, delete, and create files on your PC.  The more time they have on your system, the more havoc they can cause.
Similar to a Doctor fighting an infectious disease, the sooner you catch it and begin treating it, the better chances you have for a full recovery. The same principle applies to your PC and you.  While this does not apply to every PC infection out there, it does apply to some.  Waiting a few days or weeks can be disastrous. Imagine you have a nasty password stealer or key-logger installed on your system without your knowledge. This type of infection allows the hacker/virus creator access to all of your passwords etc and every single keystroke on your PC.  If you do banking online or shopping online, then you have given the Hacker/Virus creator all of your personal information.    They could steal your Identity and use your Credit Cards or SS# to commit crimes etc.   Even if it just a regular run of the mill infection such as pop-ups or fake scans, your PC could still be giving out your email address to any and every scam artist out there.
New infections are released on an unsuspecting public every day. With the sheer number of infections out there you can not give them a chance to reside on your system wreaking havoc along the way while waiting to fix it. The longer you wait, the worse the damage, and the bigger risk you are taking by not addressing the problem. Not every infection is going to fall into this criteria, but the ones that do are extremely dangerous.   When your PC gets infected, remove the infection as quickly as possible. Do not do any online shopping or banking or personal stuff until the PC has been cleaned of any infections.   Many infections will allow you to keep your using your PC and surf the internet so they can get more information from and about you. If you keep using your PC, surfing the Internet etc, you will most likely end up contracting another infection. Many infections and viruses have friends and can open up doors for them to join the party on your PC.
If your Antivirus software or other tools can not remove the virus for you, then have a professional do it for you.   Of course I recommend ZolexPC for this.   Whatever you decide to do, remove the infection(s) as quickly as possible to avoid even more damage than has already been done.   Treat your PC like yourself when you are sick. When you have a cold or an infection, you take medicine for it. When your PC is sick with a virus, removing the virus is the best medicine.
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week.
Steve
Common Virus Terms and What They Mean
Many people are not familiar with all the different kinds of infections/viruses that are out there.  I recently came across an article that defines these Invaders so you can know what you are up against. The more information you have about what type of infection(s) your PC has makes it easier to diagnose and hopefully remove .  Similar to a doctor who wants all available knowledge of the disease or illness he is fighting, the more knowledge you have about what you are up against, the better chance you have to kill it.
http://www.protectionpower.ca/defining-the-computer-invaders.shtml
Steve
www.zolexpc.com