How to Remove a Computer Virus - Part 1
Friday, November 13, 2009 at 10:41PM How can you remove a computer virus? The short answer is - you can't!
Don't even try to. It is a total waste of time.
There was a time a few years ago, when you had a shot at successfully disinfecting a computer. Those days are over. Today virus writers have become more skillful and there is a profit motive to having a virus hide itself on your computer.
After your computer has been compromised, the only way to be certain that it is "clean" is to back up your data, reformat (erase) the hard drive and reinstall the operating system from a known good source.
(You have backed up your data recently, haven't you?)
Just like you would change the locks after a burglary, you must reformat and reinstall after a virus or malware infection.
Why do viruses target your computer?
Here is how the "virus business" works.
"Bad guys" assemble as many compromised computers as they can (often thousands) into what are called "bot-nets."
These "bot-nets" (robot networks) can be used for many nefarious purposes. They lie dormant until they are given a command by the owner of the "bot-net." They can all be directed to flood a website with requests, thereby knocking the website off line for hours or days. This is called a denial-of-service attack. If the website targeted is a big e-commerce site, like a major retailer on a holiday weekend, or a sports site during the big game, it could be very expensive for them to be off line.
The "bad guys" quietly request that the online retailer deposit a large sum in an off shore account and their web site store is not disrupted. The victims of this extortion certainly don't want to publicize the crime. In the 21st century you don't need a mask and a getaway car to commit robbery.
A "bad guy" that controls a large "bot-net" can make money in other ways. They can rent out the computers that they control to the highest bidder. Just like an e-bay auction, access and control of your computer is auctioned off for a week, a month or a holiday shopping season.
Without your knowledge or permission, your computer can be used to email spam, download, store and forward kiddie porn, send the virus or malware to everyone in your address book, and just about anything a hacker on the other side of the world can dream up.
In Part 2 of How to Remove a Computer Virus, I will tell you how you can protect yourself from these types of attacks for free.
Reader Comments (9)
Wonderful post... Very informational and educational as usual!
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The article's a bit broad, since there are too many kinds of virus to simply tackle all of them in one article. But it's great seeing a post like this showcasing how they work.
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