Internet Security/Virus protection

When a computer/virtual machine are connecting to the network/internet, it is taking a risk. Internet security is providing protection for your computer/virtual machine's account and files from unknown users (cyber-criminals). There are many different varieties within internet security applications including anti-virus, anti-spyware, email security, browser choice. The anti-virus civers malware, viruses, Trojans, spyware, worms and bots.

• Malware is the general name for malicious software designed to infiltrate, spy on or damage the computer or other programmable device.
• viruses are programs which are able to replicate their structure or effect by integrating themselves, such as existing folders. they also usually have a malicious or humorous payload designed to threaten or modify the actions or data of the host device without consent. For example, they could delete or hide information from the owner of the computer.
• Trojans are programs that pretend to be one thing, then in reality they do something different, such as if it asks you to 'confirm your details', it is actually stealing your details for its own use. Trojans are hard to detect.
• Spyware includes programs that monitor keyboards/keystrokes or other activity on the computer system and gives the information to others without consent.
• Worms are programs that are able to replicate themselves over a computer network, and perform malicious acts that may affect the whole society/ecenomy.
• Bots are programs that take over and use the resources of a computer system over a network without consent, and also perform malicious acts and communicate those results to those that control the Bots.

Although internet security protects you form all this, there are other ways that protect you from viruses, threats etc including disk cleanup, which comes with your internet security, disk defragmentation etc. Other things that you should do to protect yourself from viruses etc are things like chexking your email, checking who they are from and if you know that person. If the email asks you to confirm your details, make sure you know that you know it is of the person and not a cyber criminal. The picture at the top of the blog shows the free internet security software that i installed onto my virtual machine. Virus protection is there to protect you from the viruses listed above and many others. The computer can be attacked by these viruses by recieving emails that contain them or when you are accessing the internet. Normally as soon as virus writers invent new viruses, anti-virus software procedures updates that cover the new viruses. There are varieties of virus products avaliable including: virus scanner software, which scans the computer when initiated by the user. Start-up virus scanner software, which runs each time the computer is booted up, however this virus software only checks for boot sector viruses. Another virus software product is memory-resident virus scanner software. This software checks incoming emails and browser documents and automatically checks the operating environment of your computer. Having the most up-to-date DAT file (data file, which keeps the protection up-to-date), scanning regularly and avoiding opening emails that may contain viruses is the best advice, however the main defence against viruses is to have an internet security that includes virus protection etc. If this software detects a virus, it may pop up with some options for you on how you can get rid of the virus etc. Virus checking software comes in many shapes and sizes, covering ones that just cover viruses, Trojans and worms; to ones that are integrated security suites that interact with the firewall and the operating system to maintain the welfare of the system. Firewalls build a protective barrier around computers that are connected to a network, so that only authorised programs can access data on a particular workstation. The user can only control exactly which software is allowed to pass data in and out of the system. For example, automatic updates might be allowed for some installed software. The purpose of firewalls is to block unwanted traffic from entering the network.