Are computer viruses spread by the media?

If you believe what you hear in the media, there is a large amount of circulating virus. No, I'm talking about the guy-you-sick of the virus, even if you get plenty of airtime, too. I'm talking about the type of virus that enters through your Internet connection instead of the nostrils.

What the media often do not tell you - at least in most radio and TV news and headlines and excerpts of critical newspaper articles - is that many of these "viruses" are viruses all.

What viruses really

The main reason for the media are always on alert for viruses is that they tend to call any malicious program virus. In fact, there are at least eleven different types of malicious software, or malware, which usually affects computers today. The most common of these are worms, Trojans and spyware.

So, what is the difference between viruses and other malware? The difference is that computer viruses are almost the only ones that regularly shut down computers and cause visible damage. The most common types of malware - worms, trojan horses and spyware - are usually only be detected by a special examination.

The real danger of computer viruses

If other types of malware are so unobtrusive that can only be detected by a special examination, then what to worry about? For starters, these programs are called malicious for a reason: they are designed to cause no harm, if not at the computer, and then to another person.

Worms are the most popular used to damage, destroy or damage the computer to the network where the host. For example, the worms were used by website owners to close rival sites by sending a huge number of applications for the computer hosting the site. Worms have also been used to send viruses to other computers, often without infecting the machine - after all, what benefits the worm to turn off the computer?

Trojans, in turn, are often used to insert worms and other malware on your computer, even if the Trojan horse does not hurt.

But even if you do not care what happens to anyone else, you should be concerned about a type of malware: spyware, a type of malware that, true to its name, collects the data from the computer and sends it to a remote host remotely.

Most spyware is only interested in monitoring your internet usage so you can tell other programs, called adware, what advertising to appear on your computer. However, there are criminal spyware programs to steal financial data, or perform a deep identity theft. I do not think you have personal or financial data on your computer? Some spyware programs contain a keylogger, a program that copies everything you type, usually to get the passwords. Even if you do not keep financial information on your computer, if you ever buy something on the web, the keylogger that allows its owner to buy things with the same information you typed in to buy things for yourself.

Why blame the media?

Faced with the danger of all these different types of malware, not a good thing that the media are becoming hysterical about it? It can be forgiven the sloppy reporting of calling Trojans, worms, spyware and other malware "viruses"?

No, no, no.

This is a classic case of disinformation do more harm than no information. In this case, the damage report has done wrong is to promote a common myth that goes something like this: "The malware is just a virus damage your computer viruses, so if my computer is working fine, my computer .. no malicious software. I just have to scan your computer for problems when there is a sign of trouble. "

Thanks to this myth, many people complacent that their antivirus software go months out of date, did not want to be bothered with scheduling an automatic update. Equally bad, many people do not have any additional software to combat other types of malware that can not be covered by antivirus software.

In fact, it is not uncommon for people who have found malware on their computers after a scan to say, "but I never had malware on your computer before!" But how to know if he had never acquired!

Even the largest mainstream media - especially television - start educating the public about the need to have their computers automatically scanned at least once a day, the world will have big problems and prolonged contact with the malware could not be eliminated as soon as possible When the producers of anti-malware software detection.

And until that day, the media will have more opportunities to run hysterical stories of "viruses", forcing you to sell more newspapers and television for an even wider audience of people who suck in the information channel but somehow never so full.

Source : http://komputertips4u.blogspot.com/2011/11/are-computer-viruses-spread-by-media.html