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TASK 7
ANTI VIRUS
VIRUS:
A computer virus is a type of malicious software program ("malware") that, when
executed, replicates by reproducing itself (copying its own source code) or infecting
other computer programs by modifying them. Infecting computer programs can include as
well, data files, or the "boot" sector of the hard drive. When this replication succeeds, the
affected areas are then said to be "infected" with a computer virus. The term "virus" is also
commonly, but erroneously, used to refer to other types of malware. "Malware" encompasses
computer viruses along with many other forms of malicious software, such as computer
"worms", trojan horses, keyloggers, rootkits, spyware, adware, malicious Browser Helper
Object (BHOs) and other malicious software.

The majority of active malware threats are actually trojan horse programs or computer
worms rather than computer viruses.
Malware: software which is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain
authorized access to a computer system.

Trojan horse: In computing, Trojan horse, or Trojan, is any malicious computer

program which is used to hack into a computer by misleading users of its true intent. The
term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the wooden horse that was used to help
Greek troops invade the city of Troy by stealth.

Spyware: software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's
computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.

Just like human viruses, computer viruses come in many forms and can affect your
machine in different ways. Obviously, your computer isn’t going to spend a week in bed and
need a course of antibiotics, but a severe infection can wreak havoc on your system. They can
delete your files, steal your data, and easily spread to other devices on your network.

Seven of the most common computer viruses. I’ve excluded Trojan horses and
worms; although they might display similar symptoms to a virus, they are technically not the
same thing.

1. Boot Sector Virus

From a user perspective, boot sector viruses are some of the most dangerous. Because
they infect the master boot record, they are notoriously difficult to remove, often
requiring a full system format. This is especially true if the virus has encrypted the boot
sector or excessively damaged the code.

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They typically spread via removable media. They reached a peak in the 1990s when
floppy disks were the norm, but you can still find them on USB drives and in email
attachments. Luckily, improvements in BIOS architecture have reduced their
prevalence in the last few years.

2. Direct Action Virus

A direct action virus is one of the two main types of file infector viruses (the other being a
resident virus). The virus is considered “non-resident”; it doesn’t install itself or remain
hidden in your computer’s memory.
It works by attaching itself to a particular type of file (typically EXE or COM files).
When someone executes the file, it springs into life, looking for other similar files in the
directory for it to spread to.
On a positive note, the virus does not typically delete files nor hinder your system’s
performance. Aside from some files becoming inaccessible, it has a minimal impact on a
user and can be easily removed with an anti-virus program.

3. Resident Virus
Resident viruses are the other primary type of file infectors. Unlike direct action viruses,
they install themselves on a computer. It allows them to work even when the original
source of the infection has been eradicated. As such, experts consider them to be more
dangerous than their direct action cousin.
Depending on the programming of the virus, they can be tricky to spot and even trickier
to remove. You can split resident viruses into two areas; fast infectors and slow infectors.
Fast infectors cause as much damage as quickly as possible and are thus easier to spot;
slow infectors are harder to recognize because their symptoms develop slowly.
In a worst-case scenario, they can even attach themselves to your anti-virus software,
infecting every file the software scans. You often need a unique tool – such as an
operating system patch – for their total removal.

4. Multipartite Virus
While some viruses are happy to spread via one method or deliver a single payload,
Multipartite viruses want it all. A virus of this type may spread in multiple ways, and it
may take different actions on an infected computer depending on variables, such as the
operating system installed or the existence of certain files.
They can simultaneously infect both the boot sector and executable files, allowing them
to act quickly and spread rapidly.
The two-pronged attack makes them tough to remove. Even if you clean a machine’s
program files, if the virus remains in the boot sector, it will immediately reproduce once
you turn on the computer again.

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5. Polymorphic Virus
According to Symantec, polymorphic viruses are one of the most difficult to detect for an
anti-virus program. It claims anti-virus firms need to “spend days or months creating the
detection routines needed to catch a single polymorphic”.
But why are they so hard to protect against? The clue is in the name. Anti-virus software
can only blacklist one variant of a virus – but a polymorphic virus changes its signature
(binary pattern) every time it replicates. To an anti-virus program, it looks like an entirely
different piece of software, and can, therefore elude the blacklist.

6. Overwrite Virus
To an end-user, an overwrite virus is one of the most frustrating, even if it’s not
particularly dangerous for your system as a whole.
That’s because it will delete the contents of any file which it infects; the only way to
remove the virus is to delete the file, and consequently, lose its contents. It can infect both
standalone files and entire pieces of software.
Overwrite viruses typically have low visibility and are spread via email, making them
hard to identify for an average PC user. They enjoyed a heyday in the early 2000s with
Windows 2000 and Windows NT, but you can still find them in the wild.
7. Spacefiller Virus
Also known as “Cavity Viruses”, spacefiller viruses are more intelligent than most of
their counterparts. A typical modus operandi for a virus is to simply attach itself to a file,
but spacefillers try to get into the empty space which can sometimes be found within the
file itself.
This method allows it to infect a program without damaging the code or increasing its
size, thus enabling it to bypass the need for the stealthy anti-detection techniques other
viruses rely on.
Luckily, this type of virus is relatively rare, though the growth of Windows Portable
Executable files is giving them a new lease of life.

Prevention is better than the Cure

As always, taking sensible steps to protect yourself is preferable to dealing with the
potentially crippling fallout if you’re unlucky enough to get infected.

Use a highly-regarded anti-virus suite, don’t open emails from unrecognized sources, don’t
trust free USB sticks from conferences and expos, don’t let strangers use your system, and
don’t install software from random websites.

ANTIVIRUS

Antivirus or anti-virus software (often abbreviated as AV), sometimes known as anti-

malware software, is computer software used to prevent, detect and remove malicious
software.

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Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses, hence
the name. However, with the proliferation of other kinds of malware, antivirus software
started to provide protection from other computer threats. In particular, modern antivirus
software can protect from: malicious browser helper objects (BHOs), browser
hijackers, ransomware, keyloggers, backdoors, rootkits, trojanhorses, worms,malicious LSPs,
dialers, fraudtools, adware and spyware. Some products also include protection from
other computer threats, such as infected and
malicious URLs, spam, scam and phishing attacks, online identity (privacy), online
banking attacks, social engineering techniques, advanced persistent threat (APT)

What's difference between antivirus/internet security?

Both antivirus and internet security are designed to protect your computer from harmful
programs. However, they are inherently different and therefore depending on your own
needs, you should either choose an antivirus or internet security software. The major
difference between antivirus and internet security is that while an antivirus protects you from
viruses that may infect your computer, an internet security suite protects you from many
other forms of malicious content and action, by having advanced features such as a firewall,
phishing detection over the internet, capability to detect key loggers and good action against
Trojans and worms.

However, there are disadvantages associated with internet security suite over an antivirus. For
example, running an internet security suite on your computer requires huge memory and CPU
usage and therefore it drastically slows down your computer. This is especially true in cases
of older computers and laptops. Apart from program slow downs, the overall running of the
system is also slowed, because a scan is performed for many tasks that may normally be
harmless. Internet security suites are generally costlier than antivirus softwares. On the other
hand, you can get quite good free antivirus softwares for download from the internet.

Depending on the sensitivity of the data present in your computer, you can choose between
internet security suite and antivirus. If you are involved with lots of financial transactions
over the internet or extensively use online banking with big amounts of money involved, you
should consider an internet security suite. Otherwise for personal purposes, an antivirus will
work just fine for you.

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Downloading and Installing AVG AntiVirus

1. Start by opening up a web browser and go to http://www.avg.com/en-us/homepage .
2. Once the page loads, click the AVG AntiVirus FREE 2015 button in the middle of the
page.

3. Here, click on the FREE Download button. This will take you to another website.

4. Next, click on Download Now.

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5. Depending on your browser and its settings, your download may begin at this point, you
may need to choose where to save the file, or you may choose to just run it as soon as
the download is complete. When the file has completed downloading, double-click it to
begin the installation.
6. You may get a pop up verifying that you are wanting to install a program. Click Yes to
continue. If you did not receive a pop up at this point, go to the next step.

7. Click Next >.

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8. Read through the End User Software License Agreement, and if you agree to the terms
of the program, click Accept

9. Select the Basic protection option, then click Next >.

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10. Click Next >.

11. The installer will now begin downloading any updates it can if you are connected to the
internet. After downloading updates it will then continue and install the program and
any updates it found.

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12. After your computer restarts, AVG should open automatically and begin checking for
further updates.

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If AVG does not open automatically, you may need to open it by clicking the Start Button
icon in the lower left of your screen, clicking on All Programs, then clicking the AVG folder,
and finally by clicking AVG 2015.

Click the Scan now button to begin the scanning process.

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The image below shows a scan in progress.

Conclusion:
Downloaded freely available Antivirus software, installed it and used it
to check for threats to the computer being used.

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