Is Your Computer Organized, or Cluttered With Malware?

What does your closet look like? It is clean and organized or cluttered? What about your computer?  Same or different?

Just as an overcrowded closet can hamper productivity, a computer containing hidden software can make productivity come to a screeching halt faster than the Nordstrom Anniversary or Half Yearly sale!

Called malware, this software comes in the form of Trojan horses, viruses, worms, and spyware. Malware is 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. There are preventative measures to take to ensure that your computer is constantly removing the things that can hamper your productivity.

The free version of ChicaPC-Shield™ can be downloaded to scan your computer and rid it of infected caused by a malware invasion or virus infection. ChicaPC-Shield™ not only finds the threats but removes them, preserving the productivity of your computer!

Hooray for productivity! After all, a compromised computer is really a bummer when it happens to stand between you and a fabulous pair of heels during an online shopping spree!

- Leticia Barr, Tech Savvy Chica