Protecting Your Internet Home Business

A Home Business Article Contributed by Sharon Hill

Pc Intrusions That Can Play Havoc with Your Internet Home Business

Virus, worms, Trojan Horses, Parasites - they can all destroy, or at least slow down your computer, playing havoc with your Internet home business. Let's take a brief look at each and what to do about them.

How a Virus Can Affect Your Internet Home Business

Computer viruses are relatively simple software programs that piggyback on other programs, wreaking havoc with your computer and your Internet home business. A virus can cause a great deal of harm to your files and programs. Some have been destructive to millions. In 1999, for instance, the Melissa virus affected some major corporations. Microsoft, for instance, as well as others, actually had to turn off their e-mail capabilities until the virus was destroyed.

The famous ILOVEYOU Virus of 2000 was nearly as devastating. This disastrous virus was installed via email, file sharing, and USENET News and sent out as an email to addresses on the computer's address book. So, folks who received the message recognized the sender. The subject of the message was I Love You and the attachment was entitled Love-Letter-For-You.text vbs.

How a Worm Can Affect Your Internet Home Business

A worm is a small piece of software that uses holes in security as well as computer networks to replicate itself. A copy of the worm goes out and scans the network to find another computer network with just the right security hole it needs to keep the replication going. A worm is more of a threat to your Internet home business than a virus because, unlike a simple virus, but like the Eveready bunny, a worm just keeps on going and going and going. They use up computer time and bandwidth while they are doing their replicating, too.

One of the most famous, the 2001 Code Red Worm invaded computer systems that used Microsoft, but had no security patch installed. Its program was designed to replicate itself for 20 days, then replace server web pages with a page that said, "Hacked by Chinese." Its ultimate goal was to overwhelm the White House web server - which it did not.

How a Trojan Horse Can Affect Your Internet Home Business

A Trojan horse is a computer program that purports to have one purpose but when used does something else - something undoubtedly destructive to your computer. It can, and has, for instance, wiped out hard drives of infected computers.

Parasites, the Newest and Most Harmful Viruses

A parasite goes by many names - spyware, adware, automatic dialer or hijacker. This virus takes over your computer and is very difficult to get rid of. Some will invade your computer with dozens of pop-ups, so many that as fast as you close one several more open up. Often the pop-ups are pornographic, or ads for spyware remover firms (it may, in fact, be the very firm that invaded your computer in the first place.) Sometimes they dictate your default home page, and no matter how you try to get to your home page of choice, your system is diverted to the one chosen by your spyware.