One of the things that makes using computers a lot harder is when you try an make sense of all the hundreds of different terms that seem to grow around the technology landscape. Of these terms some of the hardest to get straight in your head are the ones that have to do with the security of your computer.

Viruses, trojans, spyware, malware. All terms that have specific meaning and none of it good for you or your computer. However it is really important for people using computers, especially new users, to understand them.

In his new book Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions, David A. Karp has put together some really good and easy to understand explanations of these nasty things out to get you. The following can be found on Page 344 of his book.

Viruses

A virus is a program or piece of code that “infects” other software by embedding a copy of itself in one or more executable files. When the software runs, so does the embedded virus, thus propagating the infection. Viruses can replicate themselves, and some (known as polymorphic viruses) can even change their virus signatures each time to avoid detection by antivirus software. Unlike worms, next, viruses can’t infect other computers without assistance from people(a.k.a. you), a topic discussed in detail in the next section.

Worms

A worm is a special type of virus that can infect a computer without any help from its user, typically through a network ir Internet connection. Worms can replicate themselves like ordinary viruses, but do not spread by infecting programs or documents. A classic example is the W32.Blaster.Worm which exploited a bug in Windows XP, causing it to restart repeatedly or simply seize up.

Trojan horses

A Trojan horse spreads itself by masquerading as a benign application (as opposed to infecting an otherwise normal file), such as a screensaver or even, ironically, a virus removal tool.

Rootkits

A rootkit is a form of malware designed to conceal the fact that your computer has been infected. By their very nature, rootkits are particularly difficult to remove, let alone find. To hide its presence, a rootkit must be in memory, so the best means of detection and removal is to access the compromised drive from a different operating system, either using a dual-boot setup or by removing the drive from the PC and plugging it into another PC. GMER – http://www.gmer.net – can also be used to detect and remove rootkits.

Spyware and adware

Spyware is a little different that the aforementioned viruses and worms, in that its purpose is not necessarily to hobble a computer or destroy data, but rather something much more insidious. Spyware is designed to install itself transparently on your system, spy on you or your employer, and then send the data it collects back to an Internet server. This is sometimes done to collect information about unsuspecting users (automated identity theft), but also can serve as a conduit for pop-up advertisements (a.k.a. adware).

Aside from the ethical implications, spyware can be particularly troublesome because it’s so often very poorly written, and as a result, ends up causing error messages, performance slowdowns, and seemingly random crashing. Plus, it uses your computer’s CPU cycles and Internet connection bandwidth to accomplish its goals, leaving fewer resources available for the applications you actually want to use.

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