Ingredients:
1 cup – fresh milk
1 tbsp – fresh curds
2 tsp – ghee
3 tsp – honey
1 – banana finely chopped
5 to 6 – fresh basil (tulsi) leaves

Method

1. Mix milk, curds, ghee, sugar, together.
2. If using for offering, make sure vessel is very clean.
3. Add banana, chopped basil, refrigerate till served.

Types of malware include:

Computer Virus                                   Computer Worms

Trojan Horses                                     Logic Boombs

Spyware                                                Adware

Spam                                                      PopUps

• Malware has evolved tremendously over the last couple of years. The abuse malware had inflicted on financially and throughout the networks were realized almost immediately. Malware, when released, have extremely short lifecycles. But the outcomes are not to be taken lightly. Many variations of just one malware are highly common in the malware world. The ones with longer lifespan than other malware tend to be the majority of the percentage of computers infected.

• Unlike any other infectious causing virtual pathogens, malware reaches levels of sophistication. This further makes an impact on the computer literate community. Every single malware is designed and released for a purpose, with the short lifespan signaling the programmer’s intentions of the program. Malware also switches tactics whenever it sees fit.

• With the high threat of malware, countries worldwide address this issue with solutions to protect its users. This factor was one of the many highlights of early malware experienced during the last two years. Users are anxious over the threats pertaining to malware, and companies attempting to eliminate these pest are causing the malware world to become stronger. Consider Microsoft’s integration of RSS into future Internet Explorer versions and a malware being injected into the RSS feed due to a web application vulnerability on the service. Every time something is created to prevent any malware from infecting the users in any way, the malware steps into the game ahead of everyone else.

• Ironically, the malware world is highly competitive. All malware is in a competition to infect the higher percentage of the Internet population with malware authors waging a war amongst each other. However, at the same time, they are unintentionally collaborating information. With this, malware continues to be rather sneaky, requiring less user interaction in activating a malware code.

• During 2005, other devices such as MP3 players, or external hard drives, were getting infected with malware. National security was also at risk with Japanese nuclear data being leaked on the Internet through a virus on a personal computer. The virus exposed interiors, details of regular inspections of repair works, and names of workers. Damage also includes public hospitals in Hong Kong, one-third of Taiwan’s post office branches, British Airways, Sydney train system, Scandinavian banks, and British Coast Guard.

• Industry computer mainframes are being damaged as well, with hundreds of thousands of Internet connected hosts (supplying amazing bandwidth) storing sensitive information which could be easily used to perform the majority of security attacks that are being witnessed. The growth in today’s open-source nature of malware (E-commerce) and the growing population of users who continue to use the Internet without the proper protection are allowing the malware world to penetrate more than ever before.

A virus is a destructive executable program that infects the other programs in the system and spreads by replicating itself.

Why is it Harmful?

Such a program is designed to damage the victim computer’s files.

How does it Spread?

Viruses are coded by malicious programmers in a way that they can spread in the system without one’s permission and knowledge.

Different Aspects of Virus

Usually every virus has two aspects – a finder and a replicator.

The finder searches for the new uninfected files and the replicator actually targets these files and infects it by multiplying itself.

How a Virus Affects a System

• It corrupts files
• It slows down the speed of the computer system
• It causes the system to hang frequently
• It deletes various files

Sources of Virus Infection

A virus can enter the system and infect it through various sources. Some of the sources are

• Infected CDs, DVDs, pen drives, etc
• E-mail
• Browsing infected sites
• Downloading files from the internet

How to Remove Viruses

Removing viruses, though technical, is yet a very simple process if all the required steps are properly followed.

The basic steps are:

• Buy or download an antivirus software
• Install the antivirus software
• Update antivirus software with the latest virus definitions
• Do a complete system scan

A safe way to remove viruses is to use a bootable antivirus CD (containing the latest definitions) to scan the drive. Alternatively, you can attach the drive to a friend’s computer that has an antivirus installed (with the latest updates) and perform a full disk scan.

However, if you cannot do any of the above options, you may want to try the following steps:

Steps to Remove a Virus from the System

Step 1
Install an Antivirus Program in the System

What is Antivirus program? An antivirus is a program that searches for, identifies and removes potential viruses existing in the computer system.

Antivirus software: Some of the commonly available antivirus programs in the market are -

• Symantec Norton antivirus
• AVG antivirus
• McAfee Scan
• Microsoft Antivirus

The antivirus software should be updated regularly to retain its effectiveness.

Before installing the antivirus, close all open applications and terminate any suspicious processes using Task Manager. Sometimes, you may need to boot into safe mode or safe mode with command prompt to delete suspicious programs and references to them in the Windows Registry (run regedit from the command prompt to open the registry editor).

Search engines are excellent tools to find out whether a certain process is harmful or not. You can also get steps on how to remove a specific virus manually.

Removing the virus beforehand might be necessary, as some viruses will not allow an antivirus to operate. However, if you are not successful, you may still continue with the installation.

Step 2
Scan the System to Identify and Locate the Virus

Usually, the antivirus will run automatically when the system reboots after the installation.

Therefore, it might identify the virus automatically.

Moreover, you may want to run a quick system scan to locate the virus.

Step 3
Troubleshooting the Virus Infected Areas

After the antivirus identifies the infected areas, the next step is to rectify those areas.

Methods of Eliminating Viruses

Generally, the antivirus adopts one of two methods to eliminate the virus:

• Removing the virus – When the virus can be easily identified and can be removed without affecting other files, then the antivirus removes it from the host place.
• Quarantine – This is done when the virus cannot be easily identified removed from the file and the removal of virus means the removal of the complete file. In this method, although the virus is not eliminated, it is rendered inactive by moving the file into “quarantine” and renaming it.

Step 4
Perform a Full System Scan

Even after the virus is removed from the system, the next step is to scan the whole system to ensure that no infected files remain.

What if the Antivirus Fails?

It may happen that your antivirus fails to detect and get rid of the virus. In such a case, you can follow the steps given below:

• Take a backup of the entire data.
• Format the infected disk partition.
• In case the entire system is infected, the system will have to be reinstalled.
• Install the antivirus and the latest updates.
• Restore the backup.

The Tabs Feature

Browsing with multiple tabs under a single window is a special feature now commonly found on today’s browsers. The most common browsers that normally offer such features are Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.

Being able to open more web pages under a single window with the tabs feature makes it easier for users to navigate through the web. It also allows them to quickly switch between active tabs whenever the need to do so arises. However, the ease and smoothness of operations that opening tabs give users can also have its drawbacks. They can also be a weakness for hackers or adware companies to exploit at will.

How Tabjacking Works

The tabs feature has introduced a weak spot which could be utilized by malware as a means to infiltrate computer systems. Upon opening a tab, malicious codes and scripts could be run and executed to “hi-jack” the newly opened tab. The “hi-jacked” tabs will then display or load the adware or other unsolicited content. Quite possibly, tabjackers can also introduce viruses or other malicious content that could infect the computer. Such content will most probably be hidden among legitimate web content and thus detection of such intrusion is usually difficult.

Tabjacking poses a threat to computer users’ privacy and security. This is especially true if a “jacked” tab pretends to be a legitimate website and induces the user to enter important personal information such as credit card numbers and passwords. Once a user unknowingly enters such important information on the fake webpage, they become easy victims for identity theft and Internet fraud.

Once a computer’s tab has been hi-jacked, advertisement-based content that adware companies create could still persist in the infected computer system. Even if the user restarts or reboots the infected computer system, the tab-based adware could still execute and load without the user’s consent.

Tabjacking is used by today’s adware companies in response to the ever growing trend of browsing the Internet through in-window tabs. This form of threat is now being studied so as to be able to come-up with solutions and effective countermeasures.

The most common activator for a logic bomb is a date. The logic bomb checks the system date and does nothing until a pre-programmed date and time is reached. At that point, the logic bomb activates and executes it’s code.

A logic bomb could also be programmed to wait for a certain message from the programmer. The logic bomb could, for example, check a web site once a week for a certain message. When the logic bomb sees that message, or when the logic bomb stops seeing that message, it activates and executes it’s code.

A logic bomb can also be programmed to activate on a wide variety of other variables, such as when a database grows past a certain size or a users home directory is deleted.

The most dangerous form of the logic bomb is a logic bomb that activates when something doesn’t happen. Imagine a suspicious and unethical system administrator who creates a logic bomb which deletes all of the data on a server if he doesn’t log in for a month. The system administrator programs the logic bomb with this logic because he knows that if he is fired, he won’t be able to get back into the system to set his logic bomb. One day on his way to work, our suspicious and unethical system administrator is hit by a bus. Three weeks later, his logic bomb goes off and the server is wiped clean. The system administrator meant for the logic bomb to explode if he was fired; he did not forsee that he would be hit by a bus.

Because a logic bomb does not replicate itself, it is very easy to write a logic bomb program. This also means that a logic bomb will not spread to unintended victims. In some ways, a logic bomb is the most civilized programmed threat, because a logic bomb must be targeted against a specific victim.

The classic use for a logic bomb is to ensure payment for software. If payment is not made by a certain date, the logic bomb activates and the software automatically deletes itself. A more malicious form of that logic bomb would also delete other data on the system.

A Trojan Horse virus works by hiding within a set of seemingly useful software programs. Once executed or installed in the system, this type of virus will start infecting other files in the computer.

A Trojan Horse Virus is also usually capable of stealing important information from the user’s computer. It will then send this information to Internet servers designated by the developer of the virus. The developer will then be able to gain a level of control over the computer through this Trojan virus. While these things take place, the user will notice that the infected computer has become very slow or unexpected windows pop up without any activity from the user. Later on, this will result to a computer crash.

A Trojan Horse virus can spread in a number of ways. The most common means of infection is through email attachments. The developer of the virus usually uses various spamming techniques in order to distribute the virus to unsuspecting users.

These emails contain attachments. Once the user opens the attachment, the Trojan Horse Virus immediately infects the system and performs the tasks mentioned above.

Another method used by malware developers to spread their Trojan Horse viruses is via chat software such as Yahoo Messenger and Skype. Another method used by this virus in order to infect other machines is through sending copies of itself to the people in the address book of a user whose computer has already been infected by the virus.

The best way to prevent a Trojan Horse Virus from entering and infecting your computer is to never open email attachments or files that have been sent by unknown senders. However, not all files we can receive are guaranteed to be virus-free. With this, a good way of protecting your PC against malicious programs such as this harmful application is to install and update an antivirus program.

These are just like the software you use, except they are written to cause destruction. There are many different types. Some are called Trojan Horses, worms, malware and many others.

Technically, not all malicious programs are viruses. For the general PC user however, these technicalities are irrelevant. All of these programs can be labeled as malicious and must be avoided. Their methods and ways of entering PCs are different, but their goal is the same: cause destruction and mischief. The basic facts about computer worm viruses are that they can destroy files and must be avoided.

How do They Get into a Computer?

The most common way is through a network like the Internet. If you download a software or game, the malware could be embedded in the files. When the program is installed, the malware might install itself simultaneously.

Another common method is through email. The worm might attach itself to an email. Usually the message will have an enticing header. The user will click it and the program will start to run.

There are now some malware running from Web based scripts. All the user has to do is visit the website. The script will activate itself and self install in the PC. The facts about computer worm viruses show that these are among the most dangerous types around.

What Happens When a Computer is Infected?

The mildest forms will result in irritating popups when you browse the Web. Others will make the icons move across the desktop. The most lethal ones will erase all your files. Others will attack the system memory and BIOS. This will make the OS impossible to boot.

On networks it moves from one computer to another. When a user is online, it will send an email with the malware attached to it. When it is opened, the program infects that computer. On the Internet this kind of infection can result in millions of users being affected. Numerous websites will also shut down. The facts about computer worm viruses will show that it has happened several times already.

How Does One Keep Them Away?

1. Install antivirus software. After installation, run its update feature. You need to do this as often as possible. By keeping it updated, it will be able to detect the threat immediately.
2. Always back up your files. If the network has been infected, clean it first before backing up.
3. Even though email services have virus scanners, run a thorough scan on any attachment you get. If you get an .exe or script attachment from someone you don’t know, delete it. When browsing the Web, keep your antivirus scanner on. This will keep malicious scripts at bay.
4. By learning the facts about computer worm viruses, you’ll keep your documents safe. Always try to keep your knowledge up to date, and your data will be safe.

Further Reading on What is a Computer Worm Virus?

A computer worm is a program which copies itself across a network.

A computer worm differs from a computer virus in that a computer worm can run itself. A virus needs a host program to run, and the virus code runs as part of the host program. A computer worm can spread without a host program, although some modern computer worms also use files to hide inside.

Well known examples of the computer worm

The original computer worm was (perhaps accidentally) unleashed on the Internet by Robert Tappan Morris in 1988. The Internet Worm used sendmail, fingerd, and rsh/rexec to spread itself across the Internet.

The SQL Slammer Worm of 2003 used a vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 to spread itself across the Internet. The Blaster Worm, also of 2003, used a vulnerability in Microsoft DCOM RPC to spread itself.

The Melissa worm of 1999, the Sobig worms of 2003 and the Mydoom worm of 2004 all spread through e-mail. These worms shared some features of a Trojan horse, in that they spread by enticing a user to open an infected e-mail attachment.

Mydoom also attempted to spread itself through the peer-to-peer file sharing application KaZaA. The Mydoom worms attempted a Denial of Service (DoS) attack against SCO and Microsoft.

Protecting yourself against computer worms

Computer worms which spread through vulnerabilities in network services can best be protected against by keeping up-to-date in installing patches provided by operating system and application vendors. This includes worms like SQL Slammer and Blaster.

Computer worms which spread like trojan horses can best be defended against by not opening attachments in your e-mail. These infected attachments are not limited to .EXE files. Microsoft Word and Excel files can contain macros which spread infection.

Some people would say that the best way to protect yourself against computer worms is not to run Microsoft software.

The first PC virus was a boot sector virus named (c)Brain. Two brothers, Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi, whose only intentions were to protect their work from piracy and to target copyright infringers, programmed it. However, according to analysts, the Ashar virus, which was a variant of Brain, possibly was created before the (c)Brain.

Before network computer expansion, most viruses were spreaded through removable media, such as floppy disks. These viruses infected programs stored in the disks, while others were inputted into the disk boot sectors, and activated when the user booted the computer from the disk. The traditional and typical virus characteristics common to us now emerged in the 1980s, where there was an increase of BBS (Bulletin Board System, where a computer system runs software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line), modem use, and software sharing. BBS contributed greatly to the rapid spread of Trojan horses, and viruses were orginally written to target popular software traders. Traders who were in a hurry to retrieve the lastest software were usually the easiest prey to infect viruses with.

In the mid 1990s, macro viruses came into the scene and became common quickly. Ironically, some versions of Microsoft Word allowed the macro virus to multiply and gain additional blank lines. This can cause a misleading detection, as others would see the new strands of the macro virus as a new virus.

Viruses then began spreading via instant messaging. Typically, it sends a web address to everybody in the contact list, and anyone who so much as click on the link would be prone of an immediate infection. However, there are thousands and thousands of viruses operating online and new viruses are discovered every single day.

File Viruses or Parasitic Viruses

File viruses are pieces of code that attach themselves to executable files, driver files or compressed files, and they are triggered when the host program is executed. Once the file virus or parasitic virus is activated, it may spread by attaching to new programs in the system, and also perform out the wicked actions it was programmed for. A large number of file/parasitic viruses spread by loading themselves in the system memory, and they start searching for additional programs located on the drive. If it locates one, it transforms the program’s code so that it encloses the virus code. Then it activates the virus’s code next time it runs. It keeps doing this yet again until it crawls all over the system, and probably to additional systems that share the infected program.

Besides spreading themselves, these viruses also hold various types of destructive elements that can be activated instantly or by a specific ‘trigger’. The triggers could possibly be specific dates, or the number of times the virus has been replicated, or anything equally small.

Examples of file/parasitic viruses are Randex, Meve and MrKlunky.

Boot Sector Viruses

A boot sector virus infects the boot sector of a hard drive, which is a very critical component for the booting process. The boot sector is where all the information concerning the drive is stored, along with a program that makes it possible for the operating system to boot up. By introducing the virus code into the boot sector, the virus ensures that it loads into the system memory at each boot cycle.

A boot virus does not infect files; instead, it infects the drive on which they are saved. Possibly this is the reason for their collapse. In earlier days, when the programs were carried around in floppy disks, the virus used to spread like a wild fire. However, with the upcoming of CD drives and CD ROMs, it became impossible for the boot sector virus to infect pre-written information on a CD, which in due course stopped such viruses from spreading and infecting.

Although the boot sector viruses still survive in the computer world, they are very rare compared to the new era’s malicious software. An additional cause why boot sector viruses are not so common is that the new age operating systems guard the boot sector, which makes it hard for the virus to infect it.

Examples of boot sector viruses are Polyboot.B and AntiEXE.

Multipartite Viruses

Multipartite viruses are a mixture of boot sector viruses and file viruses. These viruses enter the system through infected media and dwell in the system memory. They then travel onto the boot sector of the hard drive. From there, the multipartite virus infects the executable files on the hard drive and spreads throughout the system.

There aren’t many multipartite viruses present these days, but in their era, they were responsible for a number of vital troubles due to their ability to combine different infection practices.

A significant example of a multipartite virus is Ywinz.

Macro Viruses

Macro viruses infect files that are formed using certain applications or programs that include macros. Such applications comprises of Microsoft Office documents such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Access databases and other related application files such as Corel Draw, AmiPro, etc.

As macro viruses are programmed in the language of the application and not in that of the operating system, they are recognized to be platform-independent, i.e. they can spread across operating systems such as Windows, Macintosh or any other systems, as long as they are running the necessary application. With the ever rising abilities of macro languages in applications, and the risk of hazardous infection spreading over the networks, this macro virus has become a critical threat.

The earliest macro virus was programmed for Microsoft Word and was exposed back in August 1995. At present, there are thousands of macro viruses in existence.

Examples of macro viruses are Relax, Melissa.A and Bablas.

Network Viruses

A network virus is very much skilled in rapidly spreading across a Local Area Network (LAN) or even over the internet. Generally, it circulates through shared resources, such as shared drives and folders. When it infects a fresh system, it hunts for possible victims by scanning the network for other defenseless systems. When a defenseless system is found, the network virus infects the additional systems and thus spreads over the network.

Examples of some most dangerous viruses are Nimda and SQLStammer.

E-Mail Viruses

An e-mail virus can probably be a type of a macro virus that spreads itself to all the contacts located in the host’s e-mail address book. If any of the e-mail recipients open the attachment of the infected mail, it spreads to the new host’s address book contacts, and then proceeds to send itself to all those contacts as well. Nowadays, e-mail viruses can infect hosts even if the infected e-mail is previewed in a mail client. One of the most widespread and destructive e-mail viruses is the ILOVEYOU virus.

There are many methods by which a virus can infect or stay inactive on your computer. However, whether active or inactive, it’s dangerous to let one free on your system, and should be dealt with instantaneously.