Computer Bytes - No. 30 Bookmark this page !       Send this page to a friend!  " Some computer threats we've talked about in the past have been viruses, Trojan horses, and worms. Now there is a relatively new threat out there you should be aware of and it is called 'malware'. The name 'malware' was created by combining two words - malicious and software. Malware is designed to anonymously infiltrate the user's computer system for the primary purpose of financial gain. With the introduction of high-speed Internet access, malicious software is being designed more so with profit in mind rather than as in the past where the primary purpose of a virus was damage. Malware is not spread like typical viruses or worms; rather it installs itself in the computer and must be removed by special programs designed to seek out and destroy. Therefore, running a malware program should become part of your regular computer maintenance. I recently experienced a malware invasion and felt it important enough to bring to your attention. My experience started while logging into my Discover Card account on line. Being familiar with paths - the string of letters, number and symbols that comprise the page name - I noticed the appearance of a suspicious looking path in the lower left corner of my screen during loading that superseded my Discover Card account page path. More specifically, the path included the name 'doubleclick'. I contacted Discover Card and was told that 'doubleclick' is a program installed by one of the search engines to track a computer's activity. On further investigating, I found out that not only is malware used for tracking purposes but also for more malicious purposes. It is possible for a malware program to take control of your computer and use it for purposes of sending out spam mail, hosting of unsavory data, engaging in DOS attacks (Denial of Service) possibly resulting in a form of blackmail. Malware may also redirect you from the pages you want to proxy pages filled with unsolicited advertising or to other ad pages that will generate monies for the malware creator. There is also a malware program that can be installed into the unsuspecting user's computer that will capture every key stroke in an attempt to gather personal information such as social security numbers, bank account and credit card information along with their respective passwords. If all of this makes you crazy, there is hope. There are two free sites that offer programs you can download and run to help rid your computer of these insidious programs. Download, update and then run this program first . . . http://www.superantispyware.com. After you have completed that, download, update and run this scan second . . . . http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html. You may want to run this second program twice. I did and it came up with additional threats including the 'doubleclick' program which was what started my initial search. It would seem that the world we live in is full of people wanting to take shots at us, so while using your computer take the time to be safe. Computer Bytes Index Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.