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Each time you start your computer, go online and surf the Internet, the chances of being infected by malware increase at an alarming rate. According to Symantec (2008), the rate at which malware is being released may exceed the number of legitimate software releases.

Before surfing the Web, it is beneficial to know exactly what malware is and how to prevent it from being installed onto your computer.

What is Malware?

The term malware is actually short for malicious software. Malware is software whose sole purpose is to infiltrate and damage computer systems without the owner being aware of its existence. Malware has several specific types of software included under its umbrella name – computer viruses, rootkits, spyware, adware, worms and trojan horses are just a few.

Malware can be confused on occasion with defective software. When a piece of legitimate software programming does not work properly, this is due to possibly harmful bugs and should not be considered malware. This is, however, not to say that malware cannot be the culprit of a dysfunctional computer, however, detection by appropriate software is always recommended.

The purpose of malware ranges from practical jokes to spyware that secretly monitors users' browsing habits and even keystroke logging. Increasingly more prevalent these days are malware programs designed with profit in mind. These types of attacks come in the form of email spam and denial of service attacks with extortion in mind.

How to Prevent the Installation of Malware

The only way to prevent an infestation of malware on your computer is by installing and running a good, quality, anti-malware program. These programs provide real time protection of the computer against unwanted malware installation. They work in the same way as anti-virus protection programs do by scanning all incoming data from the computer's network connection and blocking any potential threats.

Additionally, anti-malware programs scan the computer system for any existing pieces of malware software. They scan the Windows registry, currently installed programs, and OS files. If any malware software is present, the user is immediately alerted with a list of all threats and an option to immediately remove all unwanted files or compare them to lists of known malware components and files.

One of the first anti-malware programs available to the public and considered to be the top program in its class is Ad-Aware. This program is completely free of charge and is very simple to install. It works with Windows 7, Windows Vista, XP, and 2000. CNET rated this anti-malware software with 4.5 stars out of 5. While the free version offers rootkit malware detection, it does not offer real time registry protection.

Protect Yourself or Fall Victim

Simply put, some form of anti-malware protection should be in place whenever a computer is going to be used to surf the Internet. Malware is growing at an alarming rate. The longer one goes without some form of protection on a computer the chances of being infected rise exponentially. Protect yourself now against with a Recommended Anti-Malware Program!

Peter Herme is a computer system administrator with over 20 years of experience. After his very own PC was infected with spyware and losing years worth of personal files, he has vowed never to let something like that happen to him or other computer users again. As a result, he tried out various antispyware programs and learned how to properly secure his computer from spyware, malware, adware, viruses, and other computer attacks. His website details his research and is constantly updated with tips on preventing and removing spyware:

http://www.spywarefixpro.com

He knows the feeling of having your computer infected and at risk of losing your personal data. He hopes his advice will help and educate you.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/demystifying-and-preventing-malware-1770282.html

A brand new company has appeared in the fight to shield your info.  Encrypt Stick guarantees to be'the easiest, most effective way to guarantee your urgent, private files and records remain non-public and for your eyes only'.  This results directly to my question, in the world of Encrypted USB Technology, is Encrypt Stick, the proprietors of using Polymorphic Ciphers (PMC) 512-bit Encryption, a genuine leaderor are they just another start-up claiming to do more than they really deliver?  I can explore their claims through an individual trial that I have conducted.  

Firstly, shall we examine what this Encrypted USB manufacturer (and software reseller) warrants - this from their splash page :

* FREE updates!
* Protect your files for only $39.99
* Create encrypted 'Vaults' on any storage device
* Save & manage your passwords using the Password Manager
* Uses the most powerful encryption available
 

The most reknowned encryption standard used in the Western World is the 256-bit AES encryption (named Rijndael) which is made of 3 ciphers (or Encryption Algorithms) ; AES-128, AES-192 and AES-256 and each AES cipher has a 128-bit block size, with key sizes of 128, 192 and 256 bits, respectively.  This has shown to provide virtually indestructible encryption, and as such has been adopted by the US Military and Department of Defense.  

Each building block affects at least 32 bits of information and quite often it changes the key.  If there are only 4 cryptographic blocks and 16 of these blocks can be made randomly one after the other, there exist 416 = 4294967296 different probabilities for the particular encryption algorithm!  If 128 instruction blocks were to be assembled, a selection of 4128 = 1,158*1077 mixtures would result (standard 128 bit encryption yields a total of 3,403*1038). It is important to note that this is without affecting execution time because there is the requirement for a well-shuffled key data array which has got to be assured by conventional algorithms also. The Polymorphic technique features a substantially higher attack security than any standard method.  To figure out the total attack security, the amount of code combos must be multiplied by the number of key mixtures.  Key size might be 16 bytes = 128 bits ; therefore there exist 2128 = 3,403*1038 permutations for the key stored in the key information array.  The 2 keyspaces multiplied yield 1,158*1077 * 3,403*1038 = 3,913*10115 possible key combinations for the Polymorphic - PMC 512-bit -Method.  

 In order to compare typical cryptographic techniques with the Polymorphic - PMC 512-bit - technique, the total keyspaces must be compared.  As both strategies are presumed to function on a 128 bit data key, this comparison is legal.  Thus, the polymorphic technique beats any typical method by an element of 3,913*10115 / 3,403*1038 = 1,150*1077 ( ).  This is greater than the number of atoms on our planet!  

It seems like this is a good thing.  Based simply on the Encrypted USB techology, I might venture to assert that this company may have hit it right on the head.  I'm always one to want more protection, even if it is not obligatory.  And for the price, this is, thus far, a great find!

I have been an IT Specialist, working as a freelance contractor for since the 90's. Working in all facets of IT from Storage, Backup, to Administration and Security, I have seen the prevalent need for Encryption, Protection and related technologies such as Encryption Protected USB drives. You wouldn't believe how many easy DIY things you can do to help you in your everyday life with computers. I'm here to help!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/pmc-512bit-encryption-1772004.html

A computer virus is a nasty little program that can replicate itself and infect your computer without you ever knowing it was there.

Computer viruses and other forms of malware are probably the biggest source of problems for computer users around the world, expecially those using Windows operating systems.

Virus can spread themselves between computers very easily, via disks, USB sticks, local networks and across the internet.

Even so, most people don't consider that they are at risk and so they quickly become infected.

If your PC has been infected with virus then you may have noticed these symptoms -

• your computer is running slowly
• you are faced with popup ads when surfing the internet
• your antivirus program will not open/update
• you cannot connect to the websites of antivirus vendors
• you have no internet connection at all

If your machine has picked up a computer virus then the following quick tips are for you -

How To Remove A Computer Virus In Minutes

1. Back up your important files or data on your PC and remember to store them to a safe place. (Ideally you should have done this before becoming infected!)

2. If you don't already have an antivirus program installed on your computer (what were you thinking???) then download one from the internet, choosing a name you know well and from a secure website.

3. Disconnect from the internet. Reboot your PC and press F8 to go into safe mode. Launch your antivirus program and use it to remove the virus.

4. After removing all the detected files, restart your PC and scan your system once again. Make sure there are no suspicious files left.

Lee Ives writes plenty more on his security blog where you can find information about all the best security programs along with many tips to help you surf the internet safely.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/how-can-i-remove-a-virus-from-my-computer-quickly-1770885.html