Malware is malicious software created by people known as hackers. Malware comes in many forms and you may have heard it referred to as worms, Trojans, Spyware, or Adware. These computer viruses are not interchangeable and they all perform different tasks. It is important to understand what each one is and what its purpose is in order to protect yourself from them.

Worms and Trojans are essentially the same kind of virus. They are viruses designed to find their way into your computer through your Internet connection and then do some sort of damage. In many cases they will cause some sort of damage to your hard drive. For example, a virus like this may completely reformat your hard drive when it is triggered. Viruses can also be used to hijack your computer for the virus creators needs. These types of computer viruses are the most malicious and cause the most headaches to computer users. They can make a computer not usable and dangerous to other computers on your network.

Spyware is a kind of Malware that has a few purposes. One of the main purposes of spyware is to collect personal information. This information can be used for things like determining your buying habits and sending you Spam email based on those habits or even stealing your identity.

Adware is probably the most annoying kind of Malware and the easiest kind of Malware to detect. It is easy because one of the primary functions of Adware is to load pop up advertising on to your computer. Adware can clog up your computer with so many pop up ads that it can force you to have to re-format your hard drive. Somehow this is supposed to make you want to buy product. No one ever said Malware creators were smart.

Sometimes it’s not just running your anti-virus program to get rid of a terrible virus such as a rootkit. What a rootkit does is hack its way through allowing itself to have master privileges on a computer. Then it disguises itself so that most antivirus software won’t be able to recognize it. Then, once it is disguised from the major anti-virus programs, it begins to download malware such as spyware and other types of viruses. Rootkits are usually only detected with a trained eye from a virus removal professional.

What are the symptoms of a rootkit?

1. If you have a respected virus removal program installed and running and are still continuously running into spyware and viruses, this is the number one sign you have a rootkit.
2. Your anti-virus program is not running or is missing altogether. It’s common practice for rootkits to kill anti-virus programs.
3. You are connected to the internet but not able to view web pages. Rootkits like to change the proxy settings in your internet options so you can’t go online to view websites or download anti-virus programs.
4. Your desktop background changes or is disabled every time your computer starts.
5. Your computer seems like it’s running really slow even though you aren’t doing anything major

The spyware, rogueware and other malware programs are likely to be recognized and removed by an anti-virus program, which is good. The problem is catching it before it’s too late. Your sensitive information can be stolen by these programs. So if you are getting a lot of spyware on your computer over time, it might be that you have a rootkit. A very bad type of virus. Seek out a virus removal specialist and ask them about the possibility of a rootkit.

Unless you are an adept of the full Facebook disclosure system, you probably value your privacy quite highly. Most people would be uneasy if they found themselves under constant surveillance, with a third party having access to their private conversations and e-mails. Yet with the new generation of cell phone spyware which has just hit the market, this situation is actually happening to some people.

The modern smartphone is an incredibly useful tool for most people: it helps us organise our lives, communicate more effectively, and get access to huge amounts of data whenever we need. And all this comes from one compact, handheld package which slips easily into our pockets-10 years ago we could only have dreamed of this. However, there is a hidden, dark side to the current smartphone craze. Many people do not realise this, but just as desktop and laptop PCs could become infected with spyware, so the same applies to most types of smartphone. A it doesn’t matter if you’re toting an iPhone, an Android phone, Nokia N series phone, a Blackberry or a Windows mobile phone-all these mobile platforms are capable of being compromised with cell phone spyware.

It’s a worrying thought, but there are some people who are willing and able to spy on other people in their entourage. It could be their spouse or partner, it could be their children, it could even be their friends or business associates. Whoever the target, these wannabe James Bonds apparently feel no compunction whatsoever about spying on people. The method is simple: when they see the target’s cell phone is lying unattended they will “borrow” it for a few minutes in order to install the malware. All they need to do is browse to a specific vendor’s website from where they can download and install a spyware package tailored to that model of cell phone. Once installed the spyware works invisibly in the background, and the phone’s user will usually remain totally ignorant of this uninvited malware.