Good Morning! It was at least until I read an article about a threat called "Storm". Originally from early this year it seems it's creators have been able to re-engineer it, only better (or worse from another view). This is a silent trojan/worm style infection and as of today there really isn't an anti-virus that can stop it. It's estimated there are close to 25 million+ infected computers throughout the world. It doesn't damage your system but instead joins your system to a network of other infected machines**. This infection also 'sleeps' until it's ready to be used, then once it's finished it goes back to sleep sometimes as a different program***. It rarely causes any strain on your system, instead it does the opposite. It wants your system to be healthy so it can replicate itself to other machines.
What to do.
This goes right back "to if you don't know who it's from don't open it or follow a link inside the email".
Update your anti-virus, your operating system,and get a hardware (AKA a router) and software firewall.
Turn off your broadband connection when you're not using it.
Avoid peer-to-peer programs.
Do your best to protect yourself and others from these kinds of threats. If there's one there's bound to be another sometime soon.
One biggy precaution I like to recommend is occasionally rebuild your system. If you have the ability and your system is backed up on a regular basis (please please please back up your system!) take out the rebuild discs from your computer manufacturer and throw them in. Your system will be wiped clean of everything and you'll basically have a brand new machine. Remember the software you installed after you bought the computer will be gone and you'll have to reinstall it.****
** Why would someone want to infect your system and millions more? One explanation is to build a 'botnet' to attack another computer. Think of it this way. If you're talking to one person it's easy to handle. Another comes in and you're good to go. Maybe even three or four (although I'm going to have to be rude to the fourth guy). Now imagine 10 million people all talking to you at once. You're head would explode. Same basic reasoning behind a botnet attack. The server will shutdown and stop responding costing the company millions. OR even more devious. Those 10 million machines could be used to attack a firewall encryption for a defense grid.
*** A different program? A polymorphic trojan can change it's own programming to appear as another program. Using this system it can appear different to an anti-virus or anti-spyware program.
**** Kind of advanced but you could rebuild your system, reinstall all the software, then make a ghost copy of it. This will make things a lot easier the next time you're rebuilding.
