Just as a cluttered desk can hamper productivity, a computer containing hidden software can halt productivity. Such software is often called malware and comes in the form of Trojan horses, viruses, worms, and spyware. These pieces of software are created with the sole intent of damaging your computer and are at work while you are checking email, sharing photos on Facebook, online shopping, and Skyping with the grandparents.
Here’s a quick rundown on the most common forms of malware and how they can negatively affect your computer:
- Trojan Horses get their name from Greek mythology and the fact that software may not always be what it appears. Trojan Horses install themselves on your computer by clicking on something that appears to be legitimate- a regular piece of software, an online game, or even antivirus software. Ironic, right? Clicking on a Trojan Horse will cause it to run, often erasing parts of your hard drive.
- Viruses are computer scripts that are often attached to email attachments. They run silently in the background and often create, move, or erase files. They are also memory hogs that can slow the speed of your computer, making it impossible to multitask.
- Worms are invisible files that make their way through the memory on your machine, multiplying as they go. As worms multiply, they occupy more and more of your computer’s memory and space on your hard drive. They are a form of computer virus that makes your machine sluggish.
- Spyware watches as you use your computer and works to capture usernames and passwords and credit card information. This information is often sent to spyware creators over the internet who use your data as a way to make money. Like worms and viruses, spyware often comes through email attachments.
You never know when malware will strike! It can live on your computer for a long time before compromising your machine to the point where it is useless but there are preventative measures to take to ensure that your computer will always operate properly.
Being knowledgeable about different forms of malware and where they come from is important but it’s also critical to know there are programs that scan your computer in order to rid of infected files.
One new company that I love is ChicaLogic whose tagline is “Empowering Women in the Information Age.” Chicalogic is the creator of ChicaPC-Shield, a scanner that works to scan your PC to determine if your computer is a victim of a malware invasion or virus infection. ChicaPC-Shield not only finds the threats but removes them, preserving the productivity of your computer!Having just received a new HP dm1 ($499) to review as an AMD Mom, I wanted to scan my new machine because even new machines can have wacky stuff pre-installed that is a good idea to get rid of right away. I downloaded the free version of ChicaPC-Shield and found that installation was fast and easy. The Wizard took me through the installation process in a matter of seconds and then I was ready to scan my new notebook.
As ChicaPC-Shield ran, I watched it count the number of “objects” on my computer that it was scanning. There’s something satisfying about watching the scanner at work and seeing the number of objects scanned increase with every passing second. A full scan of my new HP dmz1 took 40 minutes which was sort of surprising considering that I had no idea how much was on it. Would you believe that there were 291,411 objects scanned? Luckily none were infected!
After scanning my machine using the free version, I had the option of purchasing the full version ($29.95 value currently offered for the discounted price of $24.95). While both feature advanced malware detection and removal, one main benefit to purchasing the full version is the ability to schedule ChicaPC-Shield to scan your computer on a regular basis. Let’s face it…We’re all busy and it’s nice to have one less thing to think about thanks to the automatic schedule feature that can go through your files and protect you from the corrupt malware that will harm your machine and hamper productivity.
GIVEAWAY: Interested in trying ChicaPC-Shield on your PC? I have 5 codes for the full version of the software to give away!
TO ENTER: Leave a comment sharing a computer disaster that was caused by malware and include your email or Twitter handle so I can send you a download code when you win! Winners will be selected on Tuesday, April 26.
ChicaLogic compensated me for my time in installing and examining ChicaPC-Shield but my opinions are always my own.
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012
I know a freelance photographer who just lost a bunch of her photos due to malware. The worst part is that she didn’t have them properly backed up.
-Heidi
writeme at heidimail dot com
I just was surfing the web, way back when you didn’t think there was anything to worry about, and boom before you know it my computer wouldn’t do one thing! It was bad, bad bad.
@susanlanai
Thank goodness I haven’t had a disaster…YET! I know the potential for one is right there with the next click!