Hi everyone just sitting in the Computer / IT command centre in Dublin and I been asked a few times recently from customers to explain to them the difference between all  of the above baddies and how they can help with my computer repair.

Malware

This is the general term that is used to describe all the different types of software that are used to harm your computer and that also collect information from you. So Malware or malicious software is the general term for Viruses, Spyware, Scare Ware, Trojans & Worms. They can be fun to repair and remove from your computer.

Viruses

A virus is a program that copies  itself on your computer, and then copies it's self from file to file, infecting each file as it spreads throughout your computer. Then the virus will try to spread to another computer and this makes them harder to repair. It is vital that you make sure that you have antivirus installed on your computer and it is just as important to make sure that the antivirus software is kept up to date so it can protect you from new viruses and malware.

Spyware

Spyware is any software that you install on your computer that is collecting information from your computer and sending it to someone on the Internet usually without you knowing it. Spyware can be used as part of marketing campagains or it can be used to collect your passwords and credit card numbers. One very good example of Spyware is the multitude of different Tool bars that are now available for Internet browsers. The more Spyware you have on your computer the slower it will run.

Scare Ware

This is an attack on your computer that usually pops up when you are browsing a new website. What usually happens is the website displays a page that looks like an antivirus scan that says it has found hundreds of viruses on your computer and you better download a certain program to resolve this or else. You will usually find that you then have to pay a certain amount of money before you can get your computer working again. They are a real pain to IT and computer support companies and I am seeing them loads more here in Dublin.

Trojans

A Trojan is a piece of software that you think is doing a simple task on your computer but unbeknownst to you there is some malicious code in the software that is reaking havok on the Internet. A trojan could be sending hundreds of thousands of emails a day from your computer or attacking corporate websites holding them to ransom. There are usually thousands of computers with trojans installed on them doing these attacks.  The major difference between a virus and a trojan is that trojans don't replicate themselves—they must be installed by an unwitting user. Here at iping we also use Eset antivirus to help repair our computers.

Worms

A worm uses the network to copy itself and thus they can really travel rapidly around the Internet. They usually use a hole or a vulnerability in a piece of software. Whenever a hole in a piece of software is found the good software companies will provide a patch to remove the hole and fix the vulnerability. This is why it is so important to keep your computer up to date with all the latest patches from Windows Update.