Computer Viruses For Dummies

by Gregory, Peter H.

• ISBN13: 9780764574184
• ISBN10: 0764574183
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-27
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Computer viruses just the thought of your trusty PC catching one is probably enough to make you sick. Thanks to the cyber-sickies who persist in coming up with new strains, there' s a major new cyberattack nearly every day. Viruses sneak in, usually through e-mail. Fortunately, there are ways to inoculate and protect your computer. "Computer Viruses For Dummies helps you: Understand the risks and analyze your PC' s current condition Select, install, and configure antivirus software Scan your computer and e-mail Rid your computer of viruses it' s already caught Update antivirus software and install security patches Use firewalls and spyware blockers Protect handheld PDAs from viruses Adopt safe computing practices, especially with e-mail and when you' re surfing the Net Written by Peter H. Gregory, coauthor of "CISSP For Dummies and "Security + For Dummies, "Computer Viruses For Dummies goes beyond viruses to explain other nasty computer infections like Trojan horses, HiJackers, worms, phishing scams, spyware, and hoaxes. It also profiles major antivirus software to help you choose the best progra

Author Biography

Peter Gregory, CISSP, CISA, has spent 20 years developing technology solutions for those who aren’t technologically oriented. He is an information security strategist for a wireless telecommunications carrier.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(8)
About This Book	1	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	2	(2)
Part I: Evaluating Your Virus Situation	2	(1)
Part II: Deploying Your Antivirus Defenses	2	(1)
Part III: Maintaining Your Vigilance	3	(1)
Part IV: Looking at Viruses under the Microscope	3	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	4	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	4	(1)
What You're Not to Read	4	(1)
Meanings of the Term "Virus"	4	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	6	(1)
Where to Go from Here	7	(1)
Write to Us!	8	(1)
Part I: EValuatinq Your Virus Situation	9	(40)
Chapter 1: Understanding Virus Risks	11	(12)
Assessing the Threat to Your Computer	12	(9)
Which operating system are you using?	12	(2)
Do you install security patches?	14	(1)
How many people use the computer?	15	(1)
How is your computer connected to the Internet?	15	(1)
Do you have a firewall?	16	(2)
High-risk activities	18	(3)
Deciding How Much Security Is Enough	21	(2)
Chapter 2: Does My Computer Have a Virus?	23	(10)
Looking at Common Virus Symptoms	24	(4)
Computer too slow	24	(1)
Unexplained activity	25	(1)
Crashes or hangs	25	(1)
Will not boot	26	(1)
Strange computer behavior	26	(1)
Too many pop-up windows	27	(1)
Finding and Fixing a Virus	28	(1)
Developing Good Habits	29	(3)
Keeping antivirus software up to date	30	(1)
Scan for viruses periodically	30	(1)
Install security patches	30	(1)
Working on good computer hygiene	31	(1)
Blocking malicious network traffic with a firewall	31	(1)
Blocking spyware	31	(1)
Do you have a PDA?	32	(1)
Finding Out More about Viruses	32	(1)
Chapter 3: Does Your Computer Have Antivirus Software?	33	(16)
Understanding Antivirus Software	34	(1)
Looking Around for Antivirus Icons	35	(8)
Look in - or hunt for - the system tray	35	(3)
Look on the Start menu	38	(2)
Look on the desktop	40	(1)
Look at installed programs	41	(2)
Asking at Your Place of Purchase	43	(1)
Checking the Health of Your Antivirus Software	44	(7)
Step 1: Determining whether your antivirus software starts at bootup	44	(2)
Step 2: Determining the version of antivirus software	46	(1)
Step 3: Figuring out when the last update occurred	47	(1)
Step 4: Figuring out when the last scan occurred	47	(2)
Part II: Deploying Your Antivirus Defenses	49	(66)
Chapter 4: Obtaining and Installing Antivirus Software	51	(24)
Sticking with Name Brands You Know	51	(2)
Considering Important Antivirus Features	53	(7)
Fee or free subscription?	53	(1)
Scanning: Manual and scheduled	54	(1)
Compatibility with your e-mail program	55	(1)
Virus-definition updates	55	(1)
Fix and recovery	56	(1)
Bundling other features	57	(3)
Upgrading and Switching Brands	60	(4)
Reasons to upgrade	60	(1)
Reasons to switch brands	61	(2)
Upgrading or switching brands safely	63	(1)
Checking Out the Purchasing Venues	64	(3)
Buying at computer stores	65	(1)
Buying online	65	(2)
Installing Antivirus Software	67	(8)
Following a typical installation sequence	69	(3)
Creating rescue disks	72	(3)
Chapter 5: Configuring Antivirus Software	75	(12)
Setting Your Computer Boot Options	76	(2)
Antivirus program starts at computer's startup	76	(1)
Scanning computer memory	76	(1)
Scanning floppy disks and CD-ROMs	77	(1)
Configuring Automatic Protection	78	(1)
Scheduling Scans	79	(3)
When to scan	79	(1)
Manual or automatic?	80	(1)
What to scan	81	(1)
Scheduling Updates	82	(3)
How you connect to the Internet	83	(1)
How often to update	83	(2)
Configuring Heuristics	85	(1)
Configuring E-Mail Protection	86	(1)
Configuring Instant Messaging Protection	86	(1)
Chapter 6: Scanning Your Computer and E-Mail	87	(12)
Deciding to Scan Your Computer File-by-File	87	(2)
Scanning for Viruses	89	(4)
Scanning the entire computer	90	(1)
Scanning a file or directory	91	(1)
How often to scan	92	(1)
Scheduling Scans	93	(1)
Evaluating Online Scanning Services	93	(2)
Scanning E-mail	95	(4)
Scanning outbound e-mail	97	(1)
Detecting viruses in e-mail	97	(2)
Chapter 7: Ridding Your Computer of Viruses	99	(16)
Interpreting Warning Messages	99	(5)
Warnings about incoming e-mail	100	(1)
Warnings about incoming files	101	(2)
Warnings resulting from a virus scan	103	(1)
Finding Quarantined Files	104	(1)
Repairing Your System	105	(12)
Determining the extent of the damage	105	(1)
Repairing damage	106	(9)
Part III: Maintaining Your Vigilance	115	(92)
Chapter 8: Updating Antivirus Software and Signatures	117	(10)
Getting a Signature Update	117	(5)
Onslaught of the new viruses	118	(1)
Updates (had better) happen	118	(1)
Engine updates, too	118	(1)
What version do I have?	119	(1)
How it goes (example scenario)	119	(3)
Deciding How Often to Get Updates	122	(1)
Getting Updates	123	(2)
Manual updates	123	(1)
Automatic updates	124	(1)
Scanning after an Update	125	(2)
Chapter 9: Installing Security Patches	127	(26)
Figuring Out Why You Need Security Patches	127	(4)
Addressing vulnerabilities	128	(1)
Closing the holes	129	(1)
Simplifying updates	130	(1)
Scrutinizing Security Patches	131	(2)
Preparing to Install Security Patches	133	(1)
Installing Security Patches	134	(14)
Downloading from Windows Update	134	(5)
Getting Office patches from Microsoft Office Update	139	(2)
Using Windows Automatic Update	141	(3)
Downloading patches from the Microsoft Security Web site	144	(1)
Downloading patches yourself	145	(2)
Patching other common programs	147	(1)
Installing Service Packs	148	(2)
Removing Patches	150	(3)
Chapter 10: Using Firewalls and Spyware Blockers	153	(28)
Protecting Your Computer with a Firewall	154	(11)
How firewalls work	154	(2)
Software firewalls	156	(6)
Hardware firewalls	162	(3)
Dealing with Spyware	165	(16)
Figuring out how spyware invades your privacy	166	(1)
Using spyware blockers	167	(14)
Chapter 11: Protecting PDAs from Viruses	181	(8)
PDAs Grow Up (And Grow Vulnerable)	182	(1)
Understanding Why Antivirus Software Is Needed for PDAs	182	(2)
Synchronizing data with PCs	183	(1)
Surfing the 'Net from a PDA	183	(1)
Because I said so	183	(1)
Installing and Configuring Antivirus Software on PDAs	184	(1)
Protecting Your PDA in Other Ways	184	(4)
Turning off wireless auto-connect	185	(1)
Avoiding ad-hoc wireless network connections	185	(1)
Disabling inbound file transfers	186	(1)
Configuring passwords	186	(1)
Using secure synchronization settings	187	(1)
Avoiding frivolous downloads (or, beware of free programs)	187	(1)
Protecting and Securing Your Computer	188	(1)
Chapter 12: Incorporating Safe Computing Practices	189	(18)
Backing Up Your Data Regularly	190	(6)
Getting up to speed on backups	190	(1)
Backup tips and strategies	191	(1)
Dealing with the Windows backup program	192	(1)
Deciding on third-party backup programs	193	(1)
Copying files to a CD or DVD	194	(1)
Copying files to a floppy disk	195	(1)
Installing Only Programs Known to Be Safe	196	(1)
Saving Your License Information	197	(1)
Securing Your Web Browser	197	(4)
Internet security zone	198	(1)
Privacy settings	199	(2)
Keeping Alternate E-Mail Accounts	201	(1)
Surfing the Web Safely	202	(1)
Sharing Personal Information Carefully	202	(1)
Adding Parental Internet Blockers	203	(1)
Avoiding Spam	203	(1)
Blocking Spyware	203	(1)
Using Public Computers	204	(5)
Scanning public computers for viruses	204	(1)
Scanning public computers for spyware	205	(1)
Staying clean and cleaning up	205	(2)
Part IV Looking at Viruses under the Microscope	207	(40)
Chapter 13: Viruses and the Losers Who Write Them	209	(12)
Invasion of the Computer Viruses	209	(4)
A long time ago in hobby rooms far, far away	210	(2)
Early viruses get aggressive	212	(1)
How Viruses Have Evolved with the Times	213	(1)
How Early Viruses Spread from Computer to Computer	214	(3)
Stowing away on floppy disks	214	(1)
Sneaking in via BBSs	214	(3)
The People Who Write Viruses	217	(2)
Why they write 'em	217	(1)
Hacker social values (sort of)	218	(1)
The Origins of Antivirus Tools	219	(2)
Chapter 14: Trojan Horses, Worms, Spam, and Hoaxes	221	(14)
Trojan Horses: Misleading Tricks	222	(5)
Identifying a Trojan horse	222	(2)
How Trojan horses function	224	(3)
Phishing Scams: Skilled Imposters	227	(1)
Worms: Viruses on Autopilot	228	(2)
How worms function	229	(1)
Defending against worms	229	(1)
Hostile Web Sites: Caution - Contains Poison	230	(2)
Scams and Fraud	232	(1)
Hoaxes: Preying on Gullibility	233	(2)
Chapter 15: How Viruses Function and Propagate	235	(12)
Types of Viruses	235	(3)
File infector	236	(1)
Stealth viruses	237	(1)
Boot sector	237	(1)
Macro	238	(1)
How Viruses Propagate	238	(11)
Floppies and CD-ROMs	238	(1)
File servers	239	(1)
E-mail	239	(1)
Instant messaging	240	(1)
Word and other document types	241	(1)
Web sites	242	(1)
Newsgroups	243	(1)
Pirated software	244	(1)
Wireless networks	244	(3)
Part V: The Part at Tens	247	(18)
Chapter 16: Almost Ten Myths about Computer Viruses	249	(6)
My Computer Stopped - I Must Have a Virus	249	(1)
I Have Antivirus Software, So My Computer Can't Get a Virus	250	(1)
All Viruses Are Destructive	251	(1)
Viruses Can Damage Computer Hardware	251	(1)
Viruses Can Hide inside Data Files	252	(1)
Pictures Can Give You Computer Viruses	252	(1)
I Need More Than One Antivirus Software Program to Be Fully Protected	252	(1)
You Can't Get a Virus from an Official Software CD	253	(1)
Antivirus Software Companies Create Viruses	253	(1)
Some Countries Sponsor Virus Writers and Hackers	254	(1)
Chapter 17: Ten Antivirus Programs	255	(10)
Command Antivirus	256	(1)
eTrust EZ Armor	257	(1)
F-Prot for Windows	258	(1)
F-Secure	258	(1)
Kaspersky	259	(1)
McAfee	260	(1)
NOD32 Antivirus System	261	(1)
Norton AntiVirus	261	(1)
Panda Antivirus Platinum	262	(1)
PC-Cillin	263	(1)
Vexira Antivirus for Windows	264	(1)
Index	265