Types of viruses

I have posted this on the internet some years ago
but are updating it as time, and new viruses advance.

Hope it's of some help.

"NEVER OPEN FILES RECEIVED VIA EMAIL IF UNSURE DELETE THEM WITHOUT OPENING THEM!"

Types of viruses range from relatively harmless ones to those than can, and do Permanent harm to the various chips on your motherboard, or files on your machine. System set-up files, or your own files or simply store and then redirect all your personal files to themselves over the Internet,again without your knowledge.

THE TERM COMPUTER VIRUS IS A LOOSE TERM
FOR A PERSON OR PERSONS WRITING MALICIOUS COMPUTER CODE PLEASE NOTE THAT ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS ALONE WILL NOT FULLY PROTECT YOU FROM OTHER TYPES OF MALICIOUS ATTACKS.

YOU WILL ALSO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE and ANTI-RANSOMWARE PROGRAMS RUNNING ALONGSIDE.



They could say stop you from shopping online, send unwanted popups pages, Or adverts. Divert you to a set number of sites that are members of certain company groups.

This of course would limit you to the vast array of other trusted shopping sites you may well have wished to visit.

HOAX VIRUS
The hoax virus tries to persuade you to delete legitimate Windows files or files.

WORMS
Worms email themselves to all Email addresses in the Microsoft Outlook address book, and the MSN Messengers contact list. It arrives generally as an attachment

Please be careful when opening any attachment. It may format drives, and delete files depending on the system time, not very nice, and more and more on the increase.

There are new types of email viruses that can infect your computer even without you opening the email attachment.

Malicious Harmful
These are far and away the worst type of viruses to have on your machine, and please don't forget it is your machine!! They can range from slowly filling your hard drive with space taking routines, slowly starving your hard drive of storage space. Erasing and making it impossible to repair chips on your motherboard

Example ( bios chips ) in short you will be forced to replace the complete motherboard at some considerable expense. Erasing and overwriting data making it impossible to recover your files, stealing your Internet passwords, and others. It is advisable to always backup your data to removable data i.e. CD's, DVD`S or even another HDD .

Tracking
They range from tracking your surfing habits using cookies, and other methods recording which sites you visit etc. Then copying and sending this information, BACK TO THEMSELVES.

Web Page Exploits

Although mostly temporally affecting your computer a web exploit can monitor your web pages.
An example of this can be you visit an unknown web page for the first time
it loads itself into your ram then monitors all your web page movements.

This could include your bank details and any page you visit.

This type of loosely named virus is just that an item of software being loaded on to
your machines ram without your permission.

By shutting down your machine this type of exploit will be removed as it only
sits in your ram until switch off.

Tell tail signs are your mouse movements will become slower or not behave
in the normal manor you are used to.

Dialers
Another awful virus, that can invade your computer via Trojan programs
(see Trojans section ) or simply visiting a web site. they install a program that dials a premium rate number on your computer usually ( approx $3 a minute or more) at a given time unknown to you it will dial this premium number in the background, increasing your phone bill. This type of virus is less likely on broadband.

Cookies
A small program placed on your computer by a company you have previously visited which wishes to know how many times you have visited their site or maybe the competitor site.

WARNING! these files contains information about you, and of other sites visited, and THEY GROW AS DOES YOUR SURFING HABITS. There is the need from time to time actually allowing a cookie to be loaded on to your machine, an example of this would be to say shop online with your favorite supermarket they insist in fact. Usual rule of thumb is to delete these files at close down. When all said, and done they are taking up space on your computer AND COULD POSE A SECURITY PROBLEM.

Trojans and Rootkits
You may well have agreed to accept this type of virus, and also further agreed to its installation on your computer.
when loading a new program on your computer NOTE! You may be to excited, and skip through the installation process
read each step carefully whilst installing any new program.

BE AWARE!!
This most nastiest of viruses it may well have arrived bundled in with the software.

READ,AND READ AGAIN The acceptance contract before installing .

A good example: you find a site that say offers you free CD copying software you may well not have been informed that it has tracking software bundled inside so you agree to install it, BUT its then when your troubles start.

Trojans, and backdoor viruses can track your Internet movements. create endless pop up sites some you may not have wished to visit let alone one of your family members. Troublesome, and forever changing . Rootkits can write themselves to the machine code of your operating system, and then transmit your information back when you visit certain sites. Its new, sophisticated and hard to detect.

New and more complicated viruses are coming on to the market day by day LIKE RANSOM WARE!

This one uses a combination of root kit technology, macro, and now the possibility of affecting pdf files to launch attacks.
Using a Trojan virus usually received by email Ransom-ware encrypts your files. Criminals then try to extort money out of you, or your company before releasing your files.

This is big business.

This ARTICLE explains

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2105389/perfect-ransomware-is-the-scariest-threat-to-your-pc.html

First Line of Defense

Extra note

Some Trojan viruses hide themselves in the windows connection settings,
and can only be detected by the anti-spyware programs whilst actually
connected, This is a most nasty type of virus to have on your computer.

Rootkit detection see
Sysinternals Freeware - Security Utilities


Credit Card Malware

There are more malware type viruses being developed to steal your card details,it worth making regular system backups
so you can recover your system to an earlier date/time.

http://betanews.com/2015/03/23/new-...card-transactions-a-scary-poseidon-adventure/


THE LATEST IS A VIRUS/MALWARE Nicknamed Rombertik

A new type of malware it resorts to crippling a computer "if it is detected" during security checks
IT'S “wiper” malware. WIPING ALL YOUR INFORMATION AND WRITING INFORMATION to a
very important part of your hard drive.

Read more here

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2918632/rombertik-malware-destroys-computers-if-detected.html

BROWSER HIJACKERS
Polymorphic viruses change with each infection. They do this in an attempt to defeat antivirus Programs. Every time it replicates it infects a new file in order to keep from being detected by antivirus programs.

Keyloggers
Are programs that log all your key presses yes all your keyboard presses AND MOUSE MOVEMENTS and reports them. ITS SPIES ON YOUR MACHINE!

ALSO Does? YOUR MOUSE not run as smooth across the page as it once did Yes your computer may well be infected with THIS TYPE OF VIRUS OR PAGE SCANNING WEB SITES THAT HAVE LOADED SPYWARE.

THE BEHAVIORAL COOKIE VIRUS

The behavioral ads and behavioral ad business cookies

By capturing your click patterns to create more detailed profiles than traditional browser cookies do

Jpg photographs can now contain a new virus see this article from pcworld.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2098620/zeus-banking-malware-nestles-a-crucial-file-in-a-photo.html


I know you are getting bored by now BUT you MUST READ this

THE BOTNET

A collection of viruses placed on many innocent machine owners machines used
collectively for criminal purposes.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/techno...our-mums-old-computer-to-your-new-smartphone/

Business Targeted Malware

Business targeted malware is becoming more of a problem capable of scraping the memory contents of the point of sales systems, cash registers can be affected and other terminals used at stores, data swiped from credit cards can be affected, from monitoring keyboards , affecting the data from communicating with a remote server.

RANSOMWARE VIRUSES

New-ransomware VIRUSES spreading via email

These appears in a email message as a ZIP file

These zip files are executable. If the archived zip file is launched it will download the encryption program from the criminal's server , locking up the user's personal files.

It then displays the message on the users machine and demands payment in order to unlock
the users files

There's new programs that are now being released to stop them being installed,and other programs
that can help after getting a Ramsomware notice

VIRUSES TO COME

Here's an example “proof of concept”

A new type of root kit this time affecting, and using the graphics card chip.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2920612/new-linux-rootkit-leverages-gpus-for-stealth.html

UEFI rootkit virus.

Viruses have become more dangerous, with new ones writing themselves
to the controlling chips of the motherboards themselves.

This is one of those invasive viruses that cannot be removed my normal methods.
It may take the complete removal of the cmos/bios chip to eradicate this type of virus.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2948...es-uefi-rootkit-to-survive-os-reinstalls.html



NEVER OPEN FILES RECEIVED VIA EMAIL IF UNSURE DELETE WITHOUT OPENING!


NEW ANDROID DEVICE VIRUS

Android worm that propagates itself to other users via links in text messages


This new type of android virus “CAN BE DETECTED” by finding the “APK”, an app with the name “The self-timer” will appear in the app list

It's worth checking your android device for time to time “TO AVOID BEING A VICTIM”


They have now writing themselves to computers in a way that normal virus detection
methods are now longer effective, for the most advanced types of viruses being used.


Some new virus types can now remain after replacing the entire hard drive,some lock themselves
inside the bios systems, and even in the hidden hard drive operating instructions.


Some advanced method viruses are now trying to establish themselves in the graphic card
instructions.


I have now doubt that antivirus programs alone will catch up in time.
you will be needing other detection programs running along side.


The best method is to try your best to avoid opening unknown, programs, email, and especially
attachments.


Hope that many people have found some of the information useful.

 

Good Freeware Anti-malware programs, That have been running for years.


Malabytes Anti-malware
Spyware S&D (search and destroy)


Anti-virus Programs, there are too many to list ranging from paid, and freeware.
It's a personal choice which one you use. It's worth looking on the net,
and checking computer mag sites for reviews.

 

While it's nice to know about different types of viruses and anti-malware programs, I would just like to mention here that the best protection against viruses is how you use the internet. Be careful about .exe's from sources you don't trust, try to avoid sketchy looking websites and be careful if you're using some sort of file sharing program.

 

is S&D still one of the best? Heard like most free antivirus over the years, they just sell out and start packing other stuff together as well, defeating the point.

 

I am using S&D without problems

 

Brilliant detailed post, personally I use Windows defender, this is quite disappointing but due to windows 8, they don't allow you to install MalwareBytes, and if you're unsure about finding a keylogger, check task manager for any suspicious file types and processes.

 

THANKS FOR YOUR KIND WORDS

You can download both Malabytes Anti-malware AND
Spyware S&D (search and destroy)

BOTH WILL WORK WITH WINDOWS INCLUDING 8.1

USING BOTH ON 8.1

 

Anti-theft software could be exploited, Kaspersky reports

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2097994/anti-theft-software-could-be-exploited-kaspersky-reports.html

THERE WILL BE MORE AND MORE WAYS FOR VIRUS WRITERS TO EXPLOIT VULNERABILITIES.

 

This is a really useful posts, thanks for making it! Malwarebytes is definitely one of the best programs to have. I use it along with AVG.

 

That is a great post. I normally do not care about the type of the virus but always make sure they are no in my computer system. Their place is outside whether they are harmless or harmful.

 

Thanks a lot for sharing this, something back! A virus I've and will always be worried about is the one known as ''keylogger'' this one will always make my legs shake! I'm concerned, because they are creating keyloggers that are harder to detect, I know because I used to work as a software reviewer. Keyloggers are dangerous and they're not always by the average antivirus, but there are some really good antivirus that are specialized and can catch them easily

It's scary tho, did you guys know a keylogger nowadays can do more than recording your key strokes? It can actually take screenshots and open the cam without you knowing it. It can even record your voice calls and so on.

 

There's a newer type of malware floating around affecting browser extensions, particularly with Chrome. This is a little more pervasive since it's slipping through the cracks at Google or getting by with a bunch of "disclaimers". Basically, companies are now embedding malware/adware right into Chrome extensions. To make things worse, this stuff is slipped into the extensions with no warning, after your initial install. A number of these shady companies are approaching popular extension developers and offering to buy out their extensions or pay them money to bundle their adware with them. So even if Google scanned the extensions before adding them to their market place, and even if the extension didn't initially have any adware in it, down the road it's possible for the developer to sneak it in without Google noticing.

 

Researchers have actually developed a new type of virus that can be transferred through wireless networks. It is called the Chameleon virus.

 

New types of bot net viruses are now starting to arrive, please be warned the new
viruses use a list of known “URLs” websites to decide what sites to target these targeted sites are
more than likely to be your financial and banking type sites, be aware that a suspicious email
received may be the only thing required for you to be targeted.

“Never NEVER open a unknown received link in your email client ”

 

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Reading the list of viruses just gave me a chill down my spine! I have been using the free version of Avast for years for all of our computers in the house. But I agree with the commenter that said it depends on how you are using the internet.

I don't play games or download music or videos, so I am relatively safe. This is a great list to know with different programs too!

 

I am about to stop posting regular information on viruses due to the fact that viruses
have now become to complex for the everyday user to tackle.


They have now writing themselves to computers in a way that normal virus detection
methods are now longer effective, for the most advanced types of viruses being used.


Some new virus types can now remain after replacing the entire hard drive,some lock themselves
inside the bios systems, and even in the hidden hard drive operating instructions.


Some advanced method viruses are now trying to establish themselves in the graphic card
instructions.


I have now doubt that antivirus programs ALONE will catch up in time.

You are going to need other detection programs running along side



The best method is to try your best to avoid opening unknown, programs, email, and especially
attachments.


Hope that many people have found some of the information useful.

 

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