What is a Malware Infection?

Antispyware programs have become very popular these days. This is because malware, along with its friends spyware and Adware have become so prevalent. It is impossible to avoid these odious things if you ever surf the Internet.

These types of parasites are a growing concern to say the least. In 2007, there were more new types of malware developed than all that was developed in all the years put together before the year 2007.

Spyware is a type of malware. We often think of malware as just another type of spyware along with Adware. This is not true.

Spyware and Adware are types of malware. So are Trojans, worms and keyloggers. There are other types of malware as well. It seems these harmful parasites are becoming more and more malicious every day.

Spyware and Adware Used to be Relatively Harmless

There was a time when spyware and Adware were simple programs. Their quest was to find out what type of a buyer you were and report back to the people who use the spyware so they could get a better idea how to sell you stuff. Though it is true this is still a function of spyware and Adware it has unfortunately, become more complicated and devious.

Viruses used to be the most serious threat a computer owner faced. Still, a virus is an executable file, which cannot be set loose in the computer until the operator does something. For instance, most viruses come as an e-mail attachment.

When the computer operator opens the attachment, the virus is set free to do evil to the computer. Of course, the way to avoid getting a virus is to not open e-mail attachments.

Trojans

This is all well and good. However, Trojans are types of programs that do things the computer operator finds productive or fun. Trojans could be a game or some other type of computer software. The problem is as the computer operator uses this software he is setting loose a virus in his computer. So much for the simple rule, "never open e-mail attachments."

These Trojans and viruses can be used just as a way to disable your computer and ruin your hard drive. The possibility can't be overlooked that cyber-terrorist could use Trojans in this way. The way they are being used most these days however is to discover things about the computer owner, like maybe very personal information. Can you say online banking?

Keyloggers

Keyloggers are also used to gather personal information. As the name implies a keylogger will log every stroke on your keyboard. Therefore, since other spyware and Adware associated with the keylogger will know what site you're on, it will find out what password you used to get into the site. With a little bit of imagination, you could figure out a lot of underhanded ways a keylogger could be doing you harm.

As you can see, it is very important to scan for malware very often. It is also important you use an Antispyware program that scans for all types of parasites, including keyloggers and Trojans.

It is equally important the program updates its definitions frequently. This is because the malware program writers are fast at work trying to get ahead of the Antispyware programs that are trying to stop them.

Where all this is a leading no one can say for sure. We do know that malware, with all its components spyware; Adware, Trojans and keyloggers are becoming more and more sophisticated daily.

If we let these infections get hold of our computer, it could be detrimental to our computer's health. However, even more frightening is the fact it could be devastating to our financial health.

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

The author, Ed Lathrop is a comp TIA A+/Network+ certified computer technician familiar with the operation, repair and upkeep of today's PC's. His sites, Best Antispyware Review and Free Registry Repair Compare Website, rate the top antispyware and registry repair programs and tells which work and which ones might actually be dangerous to your computer.

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