FAQ
My computer’s got a virus! Can this steal my information?
Difference between virus, spyware, trojans …….. most likely it is not a single virus but many of them …….
White lists and black lists – do they work
Where can I get information about the latest viruses, spyware, trojans, etc.
……. some sites specialize only in one kind of malware, while others offer information about all kinds
New and new viruses and other malware appear every day.
How can I possibly monitor all them?!
You don’t have to ……….. usually your antimalware program does it for you ……….. but if you like, you can set alerts and RSS feeds to notify you of newly discovered viruses
Why does the same pest have so many different names?!
This is totally confusing!
You are right – it is totally confusing, when you call the same thing in many different ways. With pests this is even more confusing because many of the have very cryptic names one can’t remember, so even if it were only one name, this is still confusing.
But there are also cases when a pest has only one name – the name given by its creator or by the person who has reported it first. However, since virus creators don’t always give names to their pests and pests are often discovered by many people (almost) at the same time, this explains why one and the same pest is known by several different names.
Additionally, it is also common for a pest to mutate. Generally these mutations are named in a logical way (i.e. Variant 1, Mutation B, etc.) but it is also possible that a mutation is given a name that has nothing in common with the original pest.
What can Cornficker worm do to me and how can I catch it?
The Cornficker worm is one the nastiest pests not only the last year but in the decade. The Cornficker worm has several mutations discovered until now and each of them has a different destructive purpose. One of the variants of Conficker, namely Variant C disables Windows Update, Windows Defender and resets System Restore points. Even if the worm itself doesn’t destroy your data, the fact that these crucial Windows services are disabled or hacked is a security risk because this leaves the computer vulnerable to other threads.
There aren’t many things that you as a end user can do to protect yourself against Cornficker. Since many antimalware programs have included protection against Cornficker, you just need to update your antimalware program to the latest definitions and that’s it. If you are a network administrator, you need to install some patches. Just check the site of Microsoft for patches and the minute a patch becomes available, install it right away.
What can Mal/Zbot-I do to me and how can I catch it?
Mal/Zbot-I is one of the most dangerous Trojans on the Internet today. Mal/Zbot-I can be a real trouble because it logs your keystrokes and captures sensitive data. Additionally, it disables firewalls, downloads more security risks on your computer and can ultimately give hackers full access to your computer.
Fortunately, Mal/Zbot-I (and some of its mutations) have already been identified by security experts and the latest malware databases of the leading antimalware providers include cures against Mal/Zbot-I. So, if you update your antimalware program to the latest version, most likely you already have protection against it.
What can the “Curse of Silence” do to me and how can I catch it?
The “Curse of Silence” is one of the nasties malware for SymbianOS mobile phones. So, if you are running a PC and you have heard your friends complain that they have become victims of the “Curse of Silence” virus, there is nothing to worry about. “Curse of Silence” affects only SymbianOS mobiles, not any device you can think of, so in this case your PC is safe.
However, if you have a SymbianOS mobile then you should be worried. The pest is very nasty because it blocks all incoming SMS and MMS and the worst is that the only way to get rid of it is a factory reset. So, until you take your mobile to an authorized technician to reset it, your phone is virtually useless for texting and MMS.