Protect Your Computer

Here we deal with teaching people how to keep their computer and their information secure from malware and other types of online threats. In this section you'll find information on how to keep your computer locked from outside intruders and how to keep it malware free.

In our years of experience teaching people how to stay safe on the Internet, we believe the biggest threat to someone’s online safety is them simply not understanding how important the subject is, either by them not grasping what Internet security really is or underestimating the potential consequences of their computer being compromised.
For anyone who uses a device that connects to the Internet, keeping it secure is vital. A device like a computer acts as a doorway to your life, much like the doorway to your house, and just like the doorway to your house it needs to be kept protected. The consequences of having your computer security compromised can vary from having annoying pop-ups or being spied on, to identity fraud and having your money, assets or website accounts stolen from you.

	Malware, spyware, koobface, viruses, worms, rootkits, Trojan horses and adware – what does it all mean? - Jargon busting all the types of malware you can get on your computer and what they do once they are there.
	Firewalls, anti-virus and Internet security software. What are they and what do I need? - explaining in laymans terms the types of security software you need to have installed on your computer and what they do.
	Top Signs Your Computer is infected with Malware - If your antivirus software doesn't know you have malware, make sure you do!
	Our Top 5 Other Tips to Keeping Your Computer Malware Free! - Having Internet security software installed isn't the only thing you need to do to ensure your computer is safe. We list another top 5 tips to keeping your computer secure.

Malware, spyware, koobface, viruses, worms, rootkits, Trojan horses and adware – what does it all mean?

It certainly can be confusing with all the different categories of malicious software out there. Firstly, the term malware acts as an all-encompassing term that includes all malicious software (i.e. software designed by scammers that you don’t want on your computer). In fact that’s where it gets its name, malicious software. This means viruses, worms, Trojans etc. are all types of malware. So why is certain malware referred to by different names?
Malware is categorised based on either what it does when it gets onto your computer OR how it got onto your computer in the first place (i.e. how it spreads).

For example malware that is categorised by what it does – this can include –
• Adware is a type of malware that provides adverts, the most common being the annoying pop-up adverts that appear when you are trying to surf the Internet.
• Spyware is a type of malware that spies on you and will typically send that information to somebody else, including your surfing habits or even your online banking information! Keylogging or keysniffing software, which logs keystrokes made by a user, is often referred to as spyware.
• Backdoor malware provides a “back door” to your computer for somebody – i.e. a way of accessing a computer (or network) without having to go through the normal authentication procedures like passwords and usenames.
• Scareware is a type of malware that pretends to be anti-virus software and once installed will report to the owner of a computer that their computer is infected with malware and offers to remove it once the owner pays for the "full version".

Some examples of malware categorised by how it spreads –
• Viruses refer to malware that has the ability to reproduce itself and infect other computers, hence its name. A virus needs to attach itself to another piece of software to travel from one computer to another, and that piece of software needs to be executed by the user to execute the virus. This means viruses typically attach themselves to legitimate programs and downloads. The computer virus is probably the most famous type of malware and the term ‘virus’ is often incorrectly used to describe all types of malware.
• Worms refer to malware that exploits vulnerabilities in computers to reproduce itself automatically, without needing to either attach itself to another piece of software or waiting for a user to execute it. Thus worms often travel much faster and wider than any other type of malware out there.
• Koobface is a type of malware that specifically uses temporary files on a computer to logon to social networking accounts and spread itself via automated messages sent from those social networking accounts. The messages link to external websites that trick friends/contacts of the social networking account into downloading the same koobface threat. Koobface is an anagram of Facebook.
• A Trojan Horse is a type of malware that masquerades (either to the user or to their computer) as a legitimate piece of software, where in reality it is malware.

Of course, with all these definitions it is very easy for a piece of malware to fall within two or more classifications. For example, a piece of malware that masquerades as a legitimate program but when installed provides a way for a scammer to enter your computer with ease would be referred to as a Backdoor Trojan, or Backdoor.Trojan.

With the exception of [temporary] security vulnerabilities or exploits, malware can only infect a computer if it is given permission to do so by a user. This could mean executing email attachments or downloading files from storage devices (i.e. CDs or DVDs) or from the Internet (or other network). If a computer has become infected with malware, in nearly every case that means the user of a computer has somehow been fooled into installing it. This means that with a little education and the right protective software, users can learn how to keep their systems completely safe!

Firewalls, anti-virus and Internet security software. What are they and what do I need?

A firewall is a piece of software that – for the typical home user – will be installed on the user’s computer and will monitor all information passed between a computer and the Internet. Such information is monitored for possible threats. Firewalls have the ability to permit or deny information from passing from the Internet and the computer or vice versa. The aim of the router is to block any malicious or unwanted data being passed from the Internet to the computer and vice versa whilst still allowing all safe data to pass unhindered. The modern version of Windows, including XP, Vista and 7 come packaged with a pre-built firewall, simply known as Windows Firewall that is automatically turned on. Microsoft have made vast improvements to their firewall in the last decade or so, but many experts still assert that the firewall is insufficient for many Internet users, who should install a firewall from a reputable Internet company.

Antivirus software refers to software installed on a computer that has the ability to both scan for and remove threats found installed on the computer. A more apt name for antivirus may be anti-malware instead, since modern antivirus software is designed to search for all malware threats, not just computer viruses. Anti-spyware programs are often smaller programs designed to detect specifically spyware (they may detect other malware as well). Good antivirus software will contain an anti-spyware capability.

It is generally recommended that someone using a computer that is connected to the Internet have both a firewall and antivirus program, and that both are kept up-to-date. Internet Security packages are software suites that contain both an antivirus component and a firewall, and – depending on the package you have – can also contain anti-spam software, parental control software and other features designed to keep you safe from Identity theft, social networking threats and phishing attacks. It is often easier to install an entire Internet security package as opposed to running a separate firewall and antivirus program, especially for novice computer users.

For our own recommendations on reputable, quality Internet security software, you can click here.

Top Signs Your Computer is infected with Malware

It is important to know when your computer is infected with malware. Malware can perform many different operations when installed on a computer, some of which will result in the infected computer showing symptoms. If antivirus is not installed, not up-to-date or has missed the threat, it is vital for a user to recognise when their computer is infected based on those symptoms so it can be removed before it does too much damage. The following list shows popular symptoms to having malware installed on your computer.

10. Slow Performance. If you notice your computer and/or Internet speed has decreased, it may be because of malware. When malware is installed on a computer, it will typically run consistently meaning it is taking up your processors resources, meaning your computer will go slower than normal. Many types of malware are either receiving or transmitting information across the Internet, meaning your Internet speed may be noticeably slower as well.

9. Pop-Ups Certain types of malware such as adware are designed to, amongst other things, server pop-up ads that will consistently appear when the computer is turned on.

8. Browser Hijacking. A common symptom of a nasty malware infection is browser hijacking, where users are automatically forwarded to unwanted websites. When a user loads up their Internet browser, Internet Explorer or Firefox for example, they will often find themselves automatically forwarded to a website automatically. Often users find themselves directed to these websites when they try and access helpful websites that provide ways of removing malware. These unwanted websites often download more malware onto a victim’s computer or try and trick the user into purchasing fake antivirus software (i.e. scareware). Also popular is ending up on sites after trying to perform an Internet search on a search engine like Google. Again, also common is your homepage (the page that loads when you start up Internet Explorer) be changed.

7. No Internet Security Software. In extreme cases, malware can overcome your antivirus or firewall software and turn them off so they cannot cause problems to the malware infection.

6. Security Warning Pop-Ups A popular sign that your computer has some kind of ransom-ware or scareware malware installed is when you see pop-ups and balloon pop-ups imploring you to install antivirus software because “your computer has been compromised” or infected. This is often the malware itself trying to fool the victim into buying malware masquerading as antivirus software.

5. New Icons You may notice new icons on your system tray, your desktop or Start menu. You may also notice new entries in your favourites menu.

4. Random Emails. After a malware installation you may notice evidence of mass email sending coming from your computer, such as many emails that have bounced back to your email account. Malware can send emails on your behalf to try and trick your friends.

3. Strange Toolbars. When using your Internet browser, you may notice random and unwanted toolbars at the top of the browser window, despite you not installing them. These toolbars can often slow down your Internet browser.

2. Unable to Install Anti-Spyware. Malware if often designed, for self-preservation reasons, to prevent anti-spyware programs from installing. When a user tries to install anti-spyware programs, they often get error messages or the installation shuts down without reason. The malware may even claim that installing the legitimate anti-spyware program is “potentially harmful” and thus has been disallowed.

1. General unexpected activity. Malware can do almost anything on a computer, and many of the symptoms can be extremely random, from seemingly arbitrary settings being changed to various applications no longer working. Keep an eye out for any suspicious or unexpected behaviour from your computer. The more random and unexpected behaviour exhibited, the higher the chance that you have a malware infection.

Our Top 5 Tips to Keeping Your Computer Malware Free!

Having Internet security software – such as a firewall and antivirus program – installed on your computer is the most important thing you can do to help keep your computer secure, but there are other things you can do to help keep you and your information secure. Here is our top ten list of tips to keeping your computer safe online.

5. Install those updates! Yes, they may be annoying and seem to pop up every other day, but installing updates for Windows and any other software you have is important because many of them may cover up potential security problems. Of course, keeping your Internet security software up-to-date as well as making sure it is the latest version is important too!

4. Email Attachments & Links. Email provides a startlingly easy way for scammers to lay their scams on your digital doorstep. The vast majority of emails out there are unsolicited emails designed to trick victims. It is important that you do not trust emails sent to you from unknown senders. Email users need to get into the frame of mind that an email sent from an unknown sender should automatically be treated as suspicious, especially if that email contains either an attachment or links to external sites. Malicious attachments are often .exe files (executable applications) that have been zipped up (compressed into a smaller size), and will end in .zip. Never click on these attachments and never click on suspicious links. Always confirm with the sender or ask someone more IT savvy than yourself if you are ever in any doubt.

3. Run regular antivirus scans. Good Antivirus software will typically pick up threats when they appear, but it is still always good practise to either set up an automated full scan or do it manually yourself, about every week or so, or when you notice any suspicious activity.

2.Download Files from trusted websites only. It is important only to download files onto your computer from websites that you trust. Every time a website tried to download a file to your computer, your web browser should first ask you for permission. Even if the download appears legitimate (for example if the download appears to be a video plugin or Flash update) it does not mean the download is safe. If you do not trust the website you are on, never download any files from it.

1. If in doubt, ask. The Internet is a complicated world, and it is impossible to convey every possible scenario here. The most important piece of advice we could give to ensuring your computer stays malware free is to always ask someone IT savvy if you are ever in doubt. With the Internet, knowledge comes hand in hand with experience and someone with lots of experience using the Internet will have more knowledge of potential scams.

Remember, just because you have Internet security software installed on your computer, it does not mean you are immune to malware and other threats. It is still important to exercise caution and common sense when surfing the Internet.