Computer security is an important but often ignored subject. These days when most households have round the clock connection to the internet; the need for a sound defence against malicious software and identity theft threats can't be stressed enough. But wait, you keep a low profile on the internet, never visit suspicious websites, don't open unsolicited emails and never download pirated software from wares websites, so you should have nothing to worry about! Well, ideally you shouldn't. But the world as we know it and, more so the internet, isn't an ideal place!
Like most people I was brought out of the delusion of being safe on-line when I started noticing remarkable drops in my computer and internet speeds. Like many home users I attributed these drops to normal windows behaviour and tried tinkering with various settings in windows control panel, but to no avail. I also noticed some unidentified processes running in the task manager, and could not get them to stop. In fact, the virus had disabled several administrative programs. I was left with no option but to run an on-line virus scan as I had never felt the need to install an anti-virus program on my system.
I soon discovered that the root of the problem was an infected file sent through IM by a friend. But my ordeal was far from over. The virus would not be easily removed. And while the on-line virus scan did a good job in scanning the system, cleaning it was an altogether different task.
This particular virus, which was detected as the W32.Downadup.C virus, had a nasty habit of crippling the PC, so that I was unable to install an Anti-virus software. Fearing for my email accounts' security whose passwords I had stored locally, I hastily backed up my data onto another drive and then did a clean install of Windows. This wasted precious time and needless to say was a headache!
This incident prompted me to read more about the threats that normal PC users are vulnerable to. I found out that even seemingly harmless activities over the internet could lead to a full fledge malware infection of the computer and the effects of a single infected computer could be widespread. A malicious code enables its maker to take over a computer and then use it for any purpose imaginable. It could be sending spam e-mails using your name and ID or collaborating with a network of other similarly infected computers, called botnet, to carry out DoS (Denial of Service) attacks on an important website. They could even use a computer for the purpose of carrying out fraud and to conceal their own identity. All these actions cause a lot of trouble to other internet users and are a headache for the authorities to curb.
A recent survey by AOL showed that as many as 20 percent of household computers that connect to the internet are infected by a virus. This is a very large number and certainly means a lot of trouble for everyone who uses the internet.
The situation could however be made better if people start investing in Anti-virus software and Firewalls. An educated approach towards internet threats is how we can make our on-line lives smoother and safer, and the only way to go about it is to make your own machine secure!
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