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Viruses and Related Pestilences

MyNeroUserWithNickname@nero.com () — 01 Jul 2007 03:05:18 GMT

Viruses, Worms and Trojans

What are they, how did they come about, signs of infection and what can I do to protect myself?

The term virus for computers is also commonly used for other malware just like the human virus can be many different types. This blog is just a broad view focusing on viruses, trojans and worms – the most common and destructive of the spread malicious software.

What’s the difference between them?

Viruses

Computer viruses act much in the same way as human viruses – they need to be spread from a ‘host’ and can range from being annoying to very serious. So basically they attach themselves to another object which can be a program, file etc.

A computer virus as a computer program written to alter the way a computers operates, without the permission or knowledge of a user. A true virus must replicate itself, and must execute itself.

Microsoft describes a virus as ‘software programs that are deliberately designed to interfere with computer operation, record, corrupt or delete data, or spread themselves to other computers and throughout the internet'.

Worms

Unlike like viruses worms do not need to be spread by a host file. A worm is a piece of software that uses computer networks and security flaws to create copies of itself. It’s an independent program that replicates itself by copying itself from computer to computer. Like real world worms internet worms replicate themselves. Though unlike real world worm they spread quickly which can cause havoc by overloading a system resource like an email server for example.

Trojans

We all know the story from Greek history -the gift that looked like a horse but had other intentions. Computer Trojans appear the same way. A Trojan is an imposter file(s) that claim to be something desirable but, in fact, are malicious.

Trojans are unlike viruses in that they cannot replicate automatically. They need to be invited in.

Trojans have two parts – server and client. Once run the server infects the user’s computer while the client allows the hack to manipulate data on the infected pc.

When did they come about?

Different dates are cited on when viruses were introduced. The earliest found though was from 1982. The virus called The Elk Cloner started as a joke and was made by Rich Skrenta. It was spread by floppy disc and put on a game. When the game was played for the 50th time instead of starting the game a blank screen appeared that read a poem about a virus name Elk Cloner.

The first worm that appeared was in 1988 created by a Cornell University student Robert Morris. It exploited a buffer overflow in the Unix Sendmail program. The worm spread quickly eating up resources and causing massive disruptions.

Trojans came a year after the first worm. 1989 introduced the AIDS Trojan. This Trojan was famous for holding data hostage. It was sent under the guise of an AIDS information program. Once executed this Trojan encrypted the unsuspecting user’s hard drive preventing them from accessing it. It even demanded payment for the decryption key or password!

How they are spread

As pc’s, networks and the internet have become more widespread so have ways of spreading viruses, worms and trojans. They are no longer limited to how they originally spread. In fact new ways of spreading are appearing all the time. As technology advances you can be sure ways of pc infection will not be far behind.

The most commons ways they are spread is through email attachments, web pages, website downloads, P2P and Bit Torrent networks, IRC, instant messaging, floppy discs and other portable media/storage devices like cd’s and flash drives.

Signs of Infection

Infections can come in many sizes and shapes. Here is a list of signs to looks out for:

· PC is running slow

· CPU is always at 100%

· A friend(s) tell you they received an email for you with an attachment that you didn’t send

· Anti Virus program is disabled and can’t be restarted

· Increase in files sizes

· Strange popup’s or alerts

· PC shuts down unexpectedly or reboots without warning

· Icons appear on your desktop of programs you didn’t install

· Files have been deleted from you hard drive mysteriously

Some from this list may not even be signs of infections – they can be signs of problems with your operating system or a buggy program for example. But be paranoid and try and get to the root cause of the symptom(s).

How to Protect Yourself

Each day new malicious software appears. At time it’s seems you need more protection on your pc’s then you do for your house! PC security is just as essential as home security – you wouldn’t leave you home open to invaders so don’t leave the pc open to them either.

First and foremost you’ll need anti virus software installed that offers ‘real time’ protection. Antivirus software will try and identify, stop and eliminate viruses and other malicious software. Real time protection or on access protection refers to the ability of the antivirus to scan files on the fly as they are either created/read (opened)/modified or executed (or some combination of). Also important is keeping the virus definitions updated of the program you are using. Most anti virus software have this set by default. Most antivirus software also have the option to run scans on demand or they can be set to scan on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to run these scans at least weekly.

Just as important is installing a firewall. A firewall is hardware or software solution to enforce security policies. In the physical security analogy, a firewall is equivalent to a door lock on a perimeter door or on a door to a room inside of the building - it permits only authorized users such as those with a key or access card to enter. A firewall has built-in filters that can disallow unauthorized or potentially dangerous material from entering the system. It also logs attempted intrusions. The firewall is your barrier against the potentially dangerous users and programs on the internet.

Keep up to date on all patches and updates for operating system. Some of these updates are specifically for new security holes that have been found. The updates and patches help close them.

If you receive an email with an attachment from an unknown sender don’t open it. Chances are it’s not something good. Delete it even if your antivirus didn’t flag it as suspicious. Even opening an attachment from someone you know may be harmful. They may be infected. If you weren’t expecting it confirm the attachment with the sender.

If you’re using a Windows operating system have it set to show the file extensions. This will show you what the file really is. What you may think is just a jpg could turn out to be .jpg.exe. Developers of malicious software know some of the flaws, vulnerabilities and default settings of Windows and will try to disguise the file so that you are more apt to open it. Showing the file extensions helps take that mask away from them.

Even though most pc infections are spread thru email and the internet now don’t let your guard down on floppy discs, cd’s and portable storage devices. Always scan them first before copying any files or running any programs from them.

PC CARE

MyNeroUserWithNickname@nero.com () — 20 Jun 2007 14:11:19 GMT

I am adding a few comments to the wonderfull description given by binkie's 7 blog in the same category ; by no way these comments should be understood as criticizing's binkie'7 'contribution , nor are these comments supposed to be "complete" .

Binkie'7 s Contribution is a perfect roadmap , for any user of a PC running Windows (I will assume here XP or Vista , while for the latter one I have NO Knowledge . I am waiting the first wave of complaints about the "revolutionary" OS ).

REGISTRY : this is the most important part of Windows as ANY user (even beginner ) SHOULD know ; in principle everything on your PC can be operated from the REGISTRY ; i just said "in principle " : REGISTRY is a very complicated part of Windows and only very talented PROFESSIONAL It's can hope to know exactly what they are doing by changing keys ;

any beginner should be frightened (it's a good desease here!!!!) by the following fact :altering a key or a data in the registry , namely EDITING the registry for altering purposes , leads to IMMEDIATE changes and no backups are taken if you do not know how to do it before altering anything ;therefore the configuration beeing altered by traficking the registry can wreck the PC and prevent it to START ; the only turnabout in that case is restoration to a previous configuration if you have restore points at your disposal and even that MAY NOT WORK AT ALL !!!!!

this beeing said , Binkie7 advices cc Cleaner to avoid unconsidered manipulations in the Registry ; two main advantages of thsi tool are: this is free software and second it takes backups of useless keys ; so in principle you are safe , using this tool ; now a piece of explanation is in order (It took me Months to understand that , so it is not unconceivable that others could encounter the same questions ) : what is exactly a registry error ??????

There are many types of such things : badly written programs write "wrong" keys , wrong information if you prefer (I am not going into details here ) ; the errors may prevent the program to work but usually they will just work including bugs which will just give you headaches ; but there are other types : the registry is a huge DATABANK for the PC , anything you perform on your PC has an inscription in the registry ; but evidently such datas are not erased automatically if useless ; therefore after a while , the registry becomes overloaded with useless datas ; this beeing the case , slowdowns are to be expected or hung apps or even worse ;

Everything which precedes has to do with the nice operation of NERO to its full capabiliies: remember that Nero has to synchronize and work on two different levels : one is the software part and the other is the hardware part ; this makes the operation of Nero delicate to some extent ; beeing an excellent program , Nero will usually work also if the registry is full of various errors , but in case a bug occurs , diagnosticizing will be difficult (hardware failure ? software failure ? problem with your configuration ?) In every case , having a healthy and COMPACTED registry will be an essential help for Nero to work ; now , coming back to the Tools that may perform such vital operations as cleaning and compacting , binkie7 mentions ccCleaner; I use this tool , so it cannot be my intention to say anything against this free and nice software ; however , if your configuration is complicated , if you are a power user , installing and uninstalling softwares , then CC Cleaner might be too light ; its major drawback is the following : datas written in the registry are organized in Hives which are in a limited number ; but CCcleaner reveals only the keys which it finds obsolete or useless ; this in principle is enough for general purposes or so to speak for light cleaning ; as mentioned , CCCleaner takes backups so you may revert to the previous situation in case something goes wrong (just go into safe mode if your PC can't restart and operate the "undo" tab in CCleaner or backup (restore ) : you will be able to do this in safe mode ;

but if you have really wrong keys and moreover if you want to CONTROL the hives where the errors are detected , then CCCleaner will not help ; it is apparently not the place to advertise for programs which do not depend on Nero ; but allow me an exception : they are various GOOD registry cleaners ; how do they work ? As already said , the REGISTRY is a huge databank ; no tool will scan your registry in every single place : this is not only absurd but would take an infinite amount of time (approximately infinite) ; therefore ALL SUCH tools operate with algorithms and therefore TWO DIFFERENT tools may NOT AGREE on the errors found ; the best tool I found ever (not 100% , but close to perfect) is JV16 PT from Macecraft ; I would not advice to make a compromise by looking at more limited versions of JV 16 PT which limit themselves really to registry cleaning ; JV 16 PT has 16 TOOLS all linked with operating with the registry (compacting also of course ; this does not need explanation: the smaller the registry , the better your PC will run ) and this program is really exceptional : have a look to it ; it's not freeware but close of freeware: the license is lifelong , cheap and valid for all coming versions ! It scans ultimately fast , repertoriates the errors by seriousness and of course allows you to scan each hive separately ; this is of extreme usefulness and brings you to the very top of safety ; of course you may take backups , even of individual suspect KEYS. This program allows you so many various tasks , including UNINSTALLING programs the right way , that I cannot miss advocating it .

Why insisting on uninstalling ?

the reason is that when you uninstall ta given program using eg ADD / REMOVE in configuration panel of Windows , it happens more than once that the uninstaller lets behind some keys belonging to the UNINSTALLED program ; why is that ? Too many reasons ; the most probable is that editors want their programs to be INSTALLED , not UNINSTALLED , therefore they do not care too much on Uninstalling . therefore the leftovers (wrong keys) fill up your Registry and this may leadto conflicts between apps or worse . JV16PT REALLY CLEANS THE REGISTRY ; it may not work well in RARE CASES ..... Including NERO .!!!!!

This will be my next subject .

My apologies for my bad english but my native language is French .

PC Care 101

MyNeroUserWithNickname@nero.com () — 08 Jun 2007 03:15:48 GMT

Basics to enhance your PC & burning experience

Just like cars pc’s need to be maintained too. To try and keep the pc running smooth and as problem free as possible here’s a list of some of the basic tips.

Anti virus Software

Don’t have one – get one
Keep it running (on)
Viruses are one of the biggest causes of pc problems. Examples of problems can include:

Reduces system performance
Can destroy data
Causes problems w/ software and hardware

Keep the anti virus program up to date – most by default update the virus definitions automatically.
If your virus definitions aren’t updated and are out of date - the scanner can become worthless. New virus came out every day so it’s very important to keep the anti virus program up to date.
Run a virus scan regularly – at least weekly

Which anti virus is best? That’s a good question – each commercial or free program has their pluses and minuses. One may pick up what another one may not. But only 1 real time anti virus may be installed. Real time meaning the ability of the antivirus to scan files on the fly, as they are either created/read (opened)/modified or executed (or some combination of).

A great back up to your anti virus program is running a free online virus scanner like Trend Micro’s House Call, Panda Active Scan, Bitdefender Online Virus scan etc.

Firewall

Don’t have one – get one. Just using the router’s firewall or the basic firewall with Windows probably isn’t going to cut it.
Keep it running (on)
Think of a firewall as a shield between you and the internet. Its job is to try and stop the bad traffic on the net from reaching your pc like virus, trojans, malware etc.
If you are using a router change the default password and set up the security. Finding the routers ip address and default password for routers are very easy –they are listed on all routers manufacturers’ pages. If your router is unsecured and you’re using the default password someone can easily log in to your connection. Check the routers website for changing the password and setting up a secure network.

Anti Spyware/Adware Programs

Don’t have one- get one
Another big problem causes for pc’s. Examples of problems include:

Can slowdown the pc
Unwanted pop ups
Can hide software that gathers & transmits info on you to a 3rd party

Keep the spyware program up to date.
While most anti virus software also scan for spyware/adware/malware there can be things missed. There are several free and commercial programs that you can use as a back up.
Run a spyware scan regularly – at least weekly

Need help on finding the right anti virus, spyware/adware and firewall software? Here are two sites to check out that offer freeware, retail, shareware etc. They both have user ratings and can get you started on finding ones that fit your needs – majorgeeks.com and cnet.com

Windows Updates

Can fix a number of problems associated with your operating system
Keep up to date on them – even the non critical ones

Free up Hard Drive space

Remove/uninstall files and/or programs no longer needed
Keep at least 12 gig free – especially for dvd back up’s

Disc Clean up

Windows utility will help clean up hard drive space
Examples of areas checked – windows files, temp internet files, temp program files and recycle bin
Do a disc clean up regularly – anywhere from weekly to monthly depending on how much the pc is used.
The windows utility can be found by going to start>all programs>accessories>system tools> disc cleanup.

System Defrag

Helps you pc run more efficiently
Gathers fragmented files & pieces them together
Less work on the hard drive trying to find the files if the pc is defragged
Do a system defrag regularly – anywhere from weekly to monthly depending on how much the pc is used.
You’ll need around 15% of free hard drive space to run a defrag.
The windows utility can be found by double clicking on ‘my computer’ – right click on the hard drive > properties>tools tab>defragment now.

Keep the registry clean

Registry keeps track of settings & options for the operating system, hardware, software, preferences etc.
Manages your startup options & software installed
Build up can happen when installing & removing programs – entries are left behind that can cause conflicts or bog the pc down.
Warning though about registry cleaning/cleaners – damage to the registry can cause serious pc problems. While some programs do a good job I can not guarantee that the one I recommend or others will work well on your set up. If you do run one set a system restore point (start>all programs>accessories>system tools>system restore>create a restore point)
A registry program that will help remove these entries that I use is ccleaner. It also, imho, does a better job at disc cleanup then the Windows utility.

Others can also be found at majorgeeks and cnet

Check the transfer mode of all your drives

All drives should be in the faster transfer mode of DMA.
DMA mode (direct memory access) uses much less of the CPU than the slower PIO (program input/output) mode.
DMA and PIO are data transfer modes.
See this blog for how to check.

ChkDsk (Scan Disk)

Checks the hard drive(s) for errors/bad sectors and can repair them
Depending on the condition of the hard drive this may take a while.
Here’s a guide

Don’t leave the pc running 24/7

Give the pc rest – if you’re not going to be using it for several hours shut it off. You won’t leave your car idling over night would you?
Harder on the system and uses more electricity to reboot.
Rebooting can clear the ram if a program is hanging it up
Give the pc an inside dust cleaning – especially the fans.

A can of compressed air can be used
Dust can accumulate and cause heat issues which can lead to deterioration in hardware over time.
Do at least 2x a year

That’s about it for this basic guideline. It may not seem like much but doing these basic tips can go a long way in getting the most out of your pc and its performance.

Be on the lookout over the coming months for more detailed information on the individual tips in this guide.