Malware Removal / Virus Repair: Chattanooga TN
At Computer Medics of Chattanooga, we are experts at malware removal and virus repair. The first thing many PC techs want to do is format your hard drive and reload your operating system. That shotgun approach works, but you then have to reinstall all your programs, printer software and data. We have the expertise to remove the infection while leaving your programs and data intact. We also have the track record to back this claim up. Rest assured that if we tell you that it will be necessary to back-up your data and reinstall your operating system it will be not only rare, but necessary.
What is Malware?
Malware is the short form for Malicious Software. It is a broad term that basically covers the gamut of all that we don’t want to happen to our computers. Malware includes viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, rootkits, browser hijackers, adware, etc.
Let’s look at just a few terms:
Virus: typically a small program which infects an application or executable. When an end user unwittingly clicks on the infected application, the virus then spreads itself to other executable software. In other words, a virus requires some action on the part of the end user to spread. Viruses may carry a payload. A payload can be harmful (usually) or simply annoying (a joke pop-up display or random sounds on a given day of the week).
Worm: Unlike a virus, a worm is a program that requires no user action. Once on the PC, the worm can actively transmit itself over a network or spread utilizing the end user’s address book via e-mail. It also can carry a payload. Think of the payload as something usually malicious to be carried out later.
Trojan Horse: This is a malicious program often hid within a program or application that the end user believes is desirable – hence, the word Trojan Horse. As you will recall the Greeks pretended to offer the Trojans a parting gift to the goddess Athena, but it really contained the enemy within. The horse was brought into the city. At night the Greek soldiers jumped out of the horse and proceeded to conquer the Trojans. When it comes to computers and browsing the web, we would do well to remember this story. Trojans are typically found in free games, utilities, or even purported anti-malware programs that are really designed to infect your system and/or get you to buy the rogue programs in order to remove the infections they claimed to have found. If you make the mistake of purchasing one of these rogue programs, you most likely will have to cancel your credit card as the rogue companies will often continue to bill you. Since they are not located within the U.S., they really can’t be stopped.
Spyware: Spyware is software that spies on you. It typically collects personal information and where you browse on the web. This information may also be sent to 3rd party advertisers or worse. Often your browser such as Internet Explorer and even Mozilla Firefox can be hijacked and be redirecting your surfing to sites you did not type or surreptiously through other sites before reaching the address you did type.
Rootkits: These are basically components of malware that have the ability to cloak themselves from detection by the operating system. Some cannot only hide themselves, but actually work to defend themselves. If one rootkit gets removed, it’s compadre simply recreates it. Removal is difficult because you have to essentially be able to kill them all at the same time to prevent them from simply recreating one another. This is the reason some anti-malware programs will report that they’ve quarantined the offending threat only to report it again and again after each repeated scan.
Botnets and Zombies: A botnet is a collection of computers that have been infected with robot software called a bot. If your home computer is infected with a bot (robot software), it has now become a zombie and is now part of a small or large botnet just waiting to do the bidding of its master (the creator of the bot). The highly publicized Conficker worm was designed to infect a number of computers to later be used for whatever nefarious deeds the author had or has in store. Most people never know they’ve been infected until their computer either starts crawling or stops all together.
The problem of malware is ever increasing. In a 2008 “Symantec Internet Security Threat Report” their preliminary analysis indicated “that the release rate of malicious code and other unwanted programs may be exceeding that of legitimate software applications.”1 It is believed by many that at least 80 percent of all computers have some form of malware infection. This problem is not going away any time soon.
What to do?
- Keep your computers up-to-date with the latest Windows Security updates, and updates for your other applications particularly products like Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, and Oracle Java. These products make browsing the web more delightful, but they must be kept current as crackers love to try to find security weaknesses to exploit.
- Utilize a competent anti-malware program and keep it up-to-date.
What to Buy? Frankly many of the commercial products available are very good at what they do. Most, however, do this at the expense of your computer’s performance. Some, so much so, that your computer may seem like it’s infected just because it’s speed has been so dramatically reduced by the very product you installed to protect it.
This need not be the case. There can be a balance between very good protection and good system performance. After working with many different anti-malware programs, I have come across two that I very much like. These two products are GFI Vipre and Webroot SecureAnywhere.
These two products work in entirely two different ways and yet accomplish the same goal – to offer your system the best possible protection with almost no impact on your PC’s performance.
As a reseller for both of these fine products, I encourage you to evaluate available reviews and decide for yourself. Do keep in mind, however, that before you install the trial version of GFI Vipre, you should uninstall your current anti-virus product or at the very least disable its active protection. If you don’t, you will either risk a real slow down of your computer or a troubled installation of Vipre.
Webroot recently acquired Prevx, which claimed to have the largest on-line anti-malware database (the cloud) in the world. Webroot developed an entirely new product line around the Prevx engine. Webroot SecureAnywhere is the result and is in a different class altogether because it never installs any definitions to your computer. They all reside on the Webroot server. Your PC must be connected to the internet for Webroot SecureAnywhere to fully protect your system, although Webroot can still offer protection even when temporarily not connected. Webroot SecureAnywhere may also be used with other anti-malware programs typically without any ill effect. Bear in mind, however, that with a layered approach to protection, you might make yourself a little safer but at the cost of reduced PC performance.
Which is better? Well, Webroot SecureAnywhere (three different versions offered) will have the very least impact on system performance of any product available and its protection has been receiving rave reviews. On the other hand, if you have 4 or more computers in your home, it is really hard to beat GFI Vipre’s Home site license for up to 10 PCs. It’s an exceptional value. Both companies will freely assist you in cleaning your PC, if it gets infected and their product fails to clean it. Very few companies offer such a service.
If you would like to purchase either of these products, just click on the appropriate links below. You will have the opportunity to change your mind after clicking on the link.
