ESET REMOTE ADMINISTRATOR - ANNEXE 636 Installation Manual download pdf (Page 23)

6. Glossary

6.1 Types of infiltrations

An Infiltration is a piece of malicious software trying to

enter and/or damage a user’s computer.

6.1.1 Viruses

A computer virus is an infiltration that corrupts existing

files on your computer. Viruses are named after

biological viruses, because they use similar techniques to

spread from one computer to another.

Computer viruses mainly attack executable files, scripts

and documents. To replicate, a virus attaches its “body“

to the end of a target file. In short, this is how a

computer virus works: after execution of the infected

file, the virus activates itself (before the original

application) and performs its predefined task. Only after

that is the original application allowed to run. A virus

cannot infect a computer unless a user, either

accidentally or deliberately, runs or opens the malicious

program.

Computer viruses can range in purpose and severity.

Some of them are extremely dangerous because of their

ability to purposely delete files from a hard drive. On the

other hand, some viruses do not cause any damage –

they only serve to annoy the user and demonstrate the

technical skills of their authors.

It is important to note that viruses (when compared to

trojans or spyware) are increasingly rare because they

are not commercially enticing for malicious software

authors. Additionally, the term “virus” is often used

incorrectly to cover all types of infiltrations. This usage is

gradually being overcome and replaced by the new,

more accurate term “malware” (malicious software).

If your computer is infected with a virus, it is necessary

to restore infected files to their original state – i.e., to

clean them by using an antivirus program.

Examples of viruses are: OneHalf, Tenga and Yankee

Doodle.

6.1.2 Worms

A computer worm is a program containing malicious

code that attacks host computers and spreads via a

network. The basic difference between a virus and a

worm is that worms have the ability to replicate and

travel by themselves – they are not dependent on host

files (or boot sectors). Worms spread through email

addresses in your contact list or exploit security

vulnerabilities in network applications.

Worms are therefore much more viable than computer

viruses. Due to the wide availability of the Internet, they

can spread across the globe within hours of their release

– in some cases, even in minutes. This ability to replicate

independently and rapidly makes them more dangerous

than other types of malware.

A worm activated in a system can cause a number of

inconveniences: It can delete files, degrade system

performance, or even deactivate programs. The nature

of a computer worm qualifies it as a “means of transport“

for other types of infiltrations.

If your computer is infected with a worm, we

recommend you delete the infected files because they

likely contain malicious code.

Examples of well-known worms are: Lovsan/Blaster,

Stration/Warezov, Bagle and Netsky.

6.1.3 Trojan horses

Historically, computer trojan horses have been defined

as a class of infiltrations which attempt to present

themselves as useful programs, tricking users into

letting them run. Today, there is no longer a need for

trojan horses to disguise themselves. Their sole purpose

is to infiltrate as easily as possible and accomplish their

malicious goals. “Trojan horse” has become a very

general term describing any infiltration not falling under

any specific class of infiltration.

Since this is a very broad category, it is often divided into

many subcategories:

Downloader – A malicious program with the ability to

download other infiltrations from the Internet.

Dropper – A type of trojan horse designed to drop other

types of malware onto compromised computers.

Backdoor – An application which communicates with

remote attackers, allowing them to gain access to a

system and to take control of it.

Keylogger – (keystroke logger) – A program which

records each keystroke that a user types and sends the

information to remote attackers.

Dialer – Dialers are programs designed to connect to

premium-rate numbers. It is almost impossible for a user

to notice that a new connection was created. Dialers can

only cause damage to users with dial-up modems, which

are no longer regularly used.

Trojan horses usually take the form of executable files. If

a file on your computer is detected as a trojan horse, we

recommend deleting it, since it most likely contains

malicious code.

Examples of well-known trojans are: NetBus,

Trojandownloader.Small.ZL, Slapper.

1 2 ... 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Comments to this Manuals

No comments

ESET REMOTE ADMINISTRATOR - ANNEXE 636 Installation Manual Page 23

Comments to this Manuals

Related products and manuals for Antivirus security software ESET REMOTE ADMINISTRATOR - ANNEXE 636