If there are any terms which we have not yet covered, please feel free to get in touch with us and we will be happy to help.
This week, we are continuing with:
Time Bomb
A time bomb is a malicious action or program that has been written so that it will stop functioning after a predetermined date or time is reached. See: logic bomb.
Trojan horse
A Trojan horse is a malicious program (malware) that pretends to be a benign application. It appears to perform a desirable function for the user prior to run or install but instead facilitates unauthorised access of the user’s computer system. Cisco describes it as” a harmful piece of software that looks legitimate. Users are typically tricked into loading and executing it on their systems”. Trojans are not viruses since they do not replicate, but they can be just as destructive.
Tunneling
Tunneling is a virus technique designed to prevent anti-virus applications from working correctly. Anti-virus programs work by intercepting the operating system before it can execute a virus. Tunneling viruses try to intercept the actions before the anti-virus software can detect the malicious code. New anti-virus programs can recognise many viruses with tunneling behavior.
Vaccination
Some anti-virus programs use vaccination as a technique to store information about files in order to notify the user about file changes. Internal vaccines store the information within the file itself, while external vaccines use another file to verify the original for possible changes.
Variant
A variant is a modified version of a virus and is usually produced on purpose by the virus author or another person amending the virus code. If changes to the original are small, most anti-virus products will also detect variants however large changes may enable the variant to go undetected by anti-virus software.
VBS
Visual Basic Script is a programming language that can invoke any system function, including starting, using and shutting down other applications without user knowledge. VBS programs can be embedded in HTML files and provide active content via the Internet. Since not all content is benign, users should be careful about changing security settings without understanding the implications. This file type has the extension VBS.
Virus
A virus is a computer program file capable of attaching to disks or files and replicating itself typically without user knowledge or permission. Some viruses attach to files so when the infected file executes, the virus also executes. Other viruses sit in a computer’s memory and infect files as the computer opens, modifies, or creates the files. Some viruses display symptoms, and others damage files and computer systems, but neither is essential in the definition of a virus; a non-damaging virus is still a virus.
See: encrypted virus, fast infector, macro virus, mutating virus, overwriting virus, resident virus, stealth viruses.
Virus Hoax
Virus hoaxes are not viruses, but are usually emails warning people about a virus or other malicious software program. Some hoaxes cause as much trouble as viruses by causing large amounts of unnecessary email.
Most hoaxes contain one or more of the following characteristics:
- Warnings about alleged new viruses and their damaging consequences
- Demands that the reader forward the warning to as many people as possible
- Pseudo-technical “information” describing the virus
- Bogus comments from officials: FBI, software companies, news agencies, etc.
If you receive an email message about a virus, check with a reputable source to ensure the warning is real. Sometimes hoaxes start out as viruses and some viruses start as hoaxes, so both viruses and virus hoaxes should be considered a threat.
Warm boot/Cold boot
Warm booting is restarting a computer without first turning off the power. Using CTL+ALT+DEL or the reset button on many computers can warm boot a machine.
To cold boot is to start the computer by cycling the power. A cold boot using a rescue disk (a clean floppy disk with boot instructions and virus scanning capabilities) is often necessary to clean or remove infectors.
WSH
Windows Scripting Host is a Microsoft-integrated module that lets programmers use any scripting language to automate operations throughout the Windows desktop.
Worm
Worms are parasitic computer programs that replicate, but unlike viruses, do not infect other computer program files. Worms can create copies on the same computer, or can send the copies to other computers via a network. Worms often spread via Internet Relay Chat (IRC).
The Glossary will continue next week. In the meantime, should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Tags: Cold boot, IT Security, linkedin, time bomb, Trojan horse, Tunneling, Vaccination, Variant, VBS, virus, Virus Hoax, Visual Basic Script, Warm boot, Windows Scripting Host, Worm, WSH
