Introduction
Viruses and Trojans are both bad and though you get them in much the same way they are created for different reasons and they do different things. Viruses are generally created only to disrupt your use of your computer, to destroy or compromise your data or even destroy part of your operating system or corrupt sectors on your drive. The intent is malicious and generally not targeted against any one individual. Trojans, on the other, had do not usually do any actual damage to the target computer. In fact, it generally hides and avoids detection as it does other tasks.
Viruses
Viruses can cripple your computer, destroy your data, damage sectors on your drive, and spread themselves to all your contacts through your computer. What identifies them as viruses is that they replicate, that is create copies of themselves to spread to other computers, usually via email, but sometimes.
Trojans
Trojans are just like the Greek Trojan Horse that carried attacking soldiers in its hollow belly. They arrive inside an innocent-looking program that escapes when you run that free program you downloaded or start using that pirate program you got on a peer-to-peer network. Trojans, however, are usually designed to do something other than destroying your computer, like find your banking information, record your passwords, open a back door into your computer or set a bot on your drive, well hidden and ready to act.
Origins
Viruses actually started as really helpful programs used to do the donkey work of programming. Then some bright delinquent noticed that they could be programmed to do almost anything on the host computer that other programs do. At first, many viruses were jokes. There was one that had bugs skittering all over your screen eating holes in the desktop, An interesting early virus had spaceships doing battle on your desktop. However, after nearly forty years, they have evolved, and many are quite dangerous to your data, your machine, and your sanity. In addition, they actually damage companies, increase our Internet costs and damage the economy. (Walker 2005)
The first viruses arrive as attachments in email. Then came scripting languages and dynamic data, such as Activex and java, and viruses copied them. Now, a virus can be hidden in almost any kind of data, behind anything on your screen, including a picture of a desktop or a windows dialog box. (Tech Republic 2010) They can even be transmitted to your computer without you clicking anything on certain sites which run programs as they load. (Compudocs 2010) They can still arrive in email, downloads, or even be dropped to your drive when you click fake icons or warnings about your computer safety issues! If you click on the closing corner X and it does not close the lookout. I sue control-f4 to close these pesky windows
What Happens After You are Infected
When you first get a virus, strange things begin to happen. Programs may not work. Your system or your Internet connection may seem very slow, refuse to go where you want on the Internet, or start rebooting over and over again. Sometimes it just makes your computer stop. It depends upon the type of virus and the severity of the infection how difficult it will be to remove the virus and fix your system. It could cost you all your data, corrupt your programs and operating system, forcing you to reinstall everything you clean the drive.
Trojans are different from viruses mostly in what they do and how they come in when you invite them by downloading from a strange or infected site. Trojans are just like the famous horse filled with soldiers, and they spread havoc, However, without good protection, you may never know they are even there because most of them do not want you to know. As soon as you find them you will stop them from doing their assigned tasks. They usually do not destroy your data or machinery, but they do things like logging your keystrokes to capture your passwords, hunting down financial data, and dial-up expensive 900 numbers while you sleep. Trojans make money for somebody, so they want to sit there and use your computer. There are some which carry bots, electronic robots that actually call their owners using IRC Chat or messengers and then follow orders. They send emails to manipulate the stock market or maybe even gang up on a server to earn protection money.
Prevention
Preventing virus and Trojan infections are quite easy. Just install a reliable antivirus program and keep it up to date. Let it keep its virus definitions up to date so it is always ready to fight. Do not engage in dangerous behaviors, such as peer-to-peer downloading or opening emails from people you don’t know. Your antivirus should also have an antispyware program and just check that it is running when you start up your computer. Read the directions so you know how to use the product. Just remember only to use online scans when you have no other option, as they are slow and not everything that looks like gold is gold.
Conclusions
Viruses and Trojans are only part of the malware that is out there. The only way to stay safe is to keep an antivirus –an antispyware program running and updated. A firewall helps too. There is no way to know just now how many new malware programs will be created in the future or what they will do. The user has to stay informed and be vigilant.
What I Did
As I researched this topic, I read articles and some pages from google. I looked on antivirus sites and computer help sites. One of the most informative sites is the Tech Republic. There is a forum where you can ask questions and I learned a lot on this site but could not pinpoint exactly where, since it is a big site and I got information everywhere, So I borrowed a book about security and read that. The first chapter told me all I needed to know about viruses and some about Trojans. I got the rest of the information about malware on a computer help site.
After all this, I got a better antivirus than I had and I will keep it updated.
What I Learned
What I learned was that I was not very well protected. I had a free antivirus on my computer and it was not rated very highly on the tech republic site or the PC magazine or CNET sites. Also, I used to think that the antivirus companies wrote the viruses, but the book I read said that they will not even hire anyone who wrote a virus. I guess hay has enough to do with the viruses and other malware that are written by kids and criminals. When I read about bots, I was surprised to discover that some people make a lot of money using malware. I always thought it was mostly just for fun or to get revenge against companies.
References
Compudocs. 2010. Malware. Web.
Absolute Beginner’s Guide To: Security, Spam, Spyware & Viruses. pp2-32. Que Tech Republioc. Web.