MALWARE ALERT!

INTRODUCTION

MALWARE is a general term describing software programs that slow down and sometimes crash your personal computer. Unlike viruses, which are universally seen as malicious, MALWARE is viewed as advertising. As such the various MALWARE purveyors have powerful advertising lobbyists paying good money to your senators and congressmen to protect their right to surreptitiously install MALWARE on your computer. What can you do?

PROTECT YOURSELF

First of all, protect your system.

ANTI-VIRUS. Make sure you have an anti-virus program installed on your system. There are over a dozen popular programs, but the most common ones available in North America are by Symantec (Norton), McAfee, Trend Micro and Computer Associates. They can all be found anywhere that sells PCs and PC software, such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, Office Max, or even retail stores such as Target and Wal-Mart. In addition, they can be purchased and downloaded on-line. (Don't try it unless you have a high-speed connection, though.)

Once you have an anti-virus application installed, it must be kept up-to-date with the latest virus definitions. New viruses appear daily, and the anti-virus companies analyze the new threats and add their characteristics to the virus definition database which the anti-virus program uses to recognize and remove viruses. Anti-virus programs automatically check for updates, but when you purchase the program you have only paid for one year of updates. When that year is up, you need to renew your subscription (generally done on-line) to stay protected from new threats.

ANTI-MALWARE. Malware, also commonly called Spyware and Adware, is frequently as malicious and damaging as viruses, but are not technically viruses. Some Malware programs that employ virus-like techniques, such as installing trojan horses, will be detected by anti-virus applications. But most are not detected.

There are several anti-Malware programs available to combat Malware infections. Two of the most effective programs have free versions that are easily downloaded and installed via the Internet. Ad-Aware, by Lavasoft, and Spybot S&D are available at Download.com, for example. The version of Ad-Aware that costs money offers real-time system monitoring (like anti-virus programs). The free version must be manually run to scan, detect and remove Malware.

Malware detection and removal applications also must be kept up-to-date, since new Malware versions are released daily. Updates for Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D are free.

Another excellent anti-Malware application is SpySweeper. There is a limited-time evaluation version available at the company web site. Microsoft also is developing an anti-Malware program called Microsoft Windows Anti-Spyware. A beta version of the program is available at the Microsoft Download page.

Something to keep in mind is that any program that offers real-time protection is running constantly and uses system resources. What that means is that they can slow your system down as well if your processor is slow or if you don;t have enough memory to accommodate them, plus everything else you want to do.

Although anti-virus programs and anti-Malware programs can co-exist with each other, they generally do not do well with similar programs. It is inadvisable to run more than one anti-virus application or more than one anri-Malware application simultaneously. If you decide to use another anti-virus program, completely uninstall the current one BEFORE loading the new one.

FIREWALL. One more step you can take to protect your system is to install a firewall. A firewall monitors traffic in and out of your computer through the network (Internet) connection and blocks anything suspicious. Unfortunately, in many cases it is up to you to "train" the firewall by telling it what is allowed. Many firewalls have a list of common applications that they allow, which saves you some work. But generally after installing a firewall you will spend a week or so while the firewall pops up a warning box asking whether such-and-such a program is allowed to access the Internet. You will have FOUR choices.

(1) You can allow it just this once, in which case you will get the same pop-up the next time it runs. (2) You can block it just this once, in which case you will get the same pop-up the next time it runs. (3) You can allow it always, in which case you will never be asked about it again. (4) You can block it always, in which case you will never be asked about it again.

The first two options are helpful if you aren't sure, such as when you don't recognize the program identified. Block it once and see if it stops you from doing something you were trying to do. If blocking it doesn't cause you any problems, next time block it always. If it is apparent that it is a critical program, then allow it always, so you aren't bothered with the pop-up in the future.

If you accidentally "block always" a critical application, you can open the firewall and change the application from "block always" to allow.

There are free versions of commercial firewall programs available, such as ZoneAlarm, by Zone Labs. Many anti-virus manufacturers, such as Symantec and McAfee, also offer firewall solutions.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

As a consumer, you have the prerogative of boycotting companies that employ Malware or use Malware applications for Internet-based advertising. Take note of the products and companies that show up in unwanted advertising pop-ups that you see as a result of Malware and refuse to buy anything from them. Don't reward companies that pay for Malware.

For example, it was revealed in late 2005 that Sony Corporation added a hidden program on several of its music CDs. If you bought the CD and played it on your PC, the program would, without your knowledge or permission, install a "rootkit" into your system. A rootkit is a program that resides deep in your system. In this instance, the rootkit modified infected systems to hide files and directories from the owner. Sony's intention was to hide its own copyright-protection software in the owner's system secretly. Unfortunately, anyone who knew the file and directory naming scheme that Sony hid could also use the Sony rootkit to hide its own malicious programs from the computer's owner. Sony first denied it did any such thing, then when presented with undeniable proof, blamed a third-party company to whom the work was outsourced. Meanwhile, anyone who bought one of the Sony CDs and made the mistake of playing the CD on a computer is now infected. By a multinational corporation. As of January 2006, the state of Texas was bringing suit against Sony. Keep that in mind next time you purchase a Sony product. The whole sordid story can be found here.

Finally, there are Malware companies that masquerade as anti-Malware companies. Advertisements pop up on your PC warning you that you may be infected and offer a product to clean your system. For example, there is a product called PS Guard that purports to be an anti-Malware program when in fact it is a Malware program that is extremely difficult to remove. NEVER BUY OR INSTALL ANYTHING THAT ADVERTISES ITSELF USING A MALWARE POP-UP.

POLITICAL ACTIVISM

The US government is investigating the problem of Malware, but efforts to control Malware are minimal at best. Companies that provide anti-Malware software have been threatened with legal action by Malware purveyors. Unfortunately, since Malware purveyors are ADVERTISERS, they have substantial money behind them, and although they might not win a legal action against a small anti-Malware company, the cost of the legal proceeding itself would drive the anti-Malware company out of business. Hearings by the Federal Trade Commission go nowhere because advertising lobbyists contribute enough to lawmakers for their specific application to be excluded from narrow definitions of Malware.

If that makes you angry, a letter to your congressman and senators might make you feel better. Your opinion as a voter probably won't outweigh campaign contributions from advertising lobbyists when it comes to influencing your elected representatives, but you never know.

SUMMARY

Once your system is protected, it will be harder for malicious programs to invade and attack your computer. However, it is a constant challenge to stay ahead of the curve. If one malicious program slips in, it could open the door for others. Some infections are not easily removed using off-the-shelf applications. In some cases specialized techniques are needed to simply LOCATE the malicious program, and complete removal is often complicated, time-consuming, and experimental. That's when you call PC Help.