Unit Two

Detect and remove destructive

software
2.1. Common types of destructive software
What is a destructive software program?
Destructive malware is malicious software with the
capability to render affected systems inoperable and
challenge reconstitution.
Most destructive malware variants cause destruction
through the deletion, or wiping, of files that are critical to
the operating system's ability to run.
 Malware is short for malicious software and used as a
single term to refer to virus, spy ware, worm etc.
 Conti…
Malware is designed to cause damage to a stand-alone
computer or a networked pc. So wherever a malware
term is used it means a program which is designed to
damage your computer it may be a virus, worm or
Trojan.
 are programs that travel from one computer to another,
using various methods, such as programs that are not
what they appear to be. Shareware downloaded from
the Internet is a popular method for spreading virus
code.
 Common types of destructive
software
Destructive Software may include but is not limited to:
Viruses.
File viruses.
System sector viruses.
Macro viruses.
Worms.
Trojans.
Logic bombs.
Spyware.
 Conti…
Damages caused by Viruses
A virus can damage programs, delete files and reformat
or erase your hard drive, which results in reduced
performance or even crashing your system entirely.
Hackers can also use viruses to access your personal
information to steal or destroy your data.
Harmful program
Malware, or malicious software, is any program or file
that is intentionally harmful to a computer, network or
server. Types of malware include computer viruses,
worms, Trojan horses, ransom ware and spyware.
 Conti…
Virus work on a computer in the ways of
Executes when an infected program is executed.
Therefore, only executable files can be infected – by
definition, a virus infects other programs with copies
of itself or may simply clone itself or may damage
other programs and data.
Trojans contain malicious code, that, when triggered,
cause loss, or even theft, of data.
The main purpose of a worm is to self-replicate and
propagate across the network. A virus is a type of
malicious software that needs a user to spread.
 Conti…
A computer worm is a standalone malware
computer program that replicates itself in
order to spread to other computers.
It often uses a computer network to spread
itself, relying on security failures on the
target computer to access it. It will use this
machine as a host to scan and infect other
computers.
 Virus protection

Virus protection software is designed to prevent

viruses, worms and Trojan horses from getting onto
a computer as well as remove any malicious
software code that has already infected a
computer.
 Anti-virus Selection

The 6 Best Antivirus Software of 2022

1) Best Overall: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
2) Best for Windows: Norton 360 With LifeLock
3) Best for Mac: Webroot SecureAnywhere for Mac
4) Best for Multiple Devices: McAfee Antivirus Plus
5) Best Premium Option: Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security
6) Best Malware Scanning: Malwarebytes and also you
can use other antivirus soft wares for your PC
Example:- Avast Antivirus Software.
 Antivirus software Installation

Installing Antivirus application is no different to any

other program or app.
First, check if you have any antivirus software
installed (besides Windows Defender).
Open the Settings app and click on Apps. Look
through the list an uninstall any packages, since
they can cause problems.
 Conti…
Windows Defender will be disabled automatically
when you install other security software, but here’s
how to turn on or off Windows Defender off manua
lly
.
Next decide which antivirus you want to use – feel
free to pick one from our list of the
best free antivirus – then download it from the
maker’s website.
 Configuring software security setting

Computer security
Although we cannot always avoid threats, we can
certainly take steps to minimize the associated risk.
This applies not only to our lives, but also to our
computers. We can take steps to ensure that we
protect our computers and keep them secure, and
minimize the threats they face on a daily basis.
 Threats to the Computer

If you use the internet and email, share files

with others or allow others to use your
computer, then it is essential that you keep
your computer secure to prevent harm. This is
because computer criminals (also known as ‘hackers’) are
constantly writing viruses and other forms of malicious
software in an attempt to access your computer and steal your
personal information, or to cause your computer to stop
working as it should. For all the benefits and advantages of the
internet, internet security is still a major issue. For the most
part it’s because users are generally not
educated on what they can do to keep their
computer secure when using the internet.
 Keeping Computer Secure by configuring the
following settings

Windows Firewall
A firewall is a software program or hardware that
checks incoming information (such as from
websites) and blocks malicious software or
attempts by hackers to gain access to your
computer through a network or the internet. A
firewall will also stop you from spreading viruses to
other computers.
 Virus Software Viruses

Virus Software
worms and Trojan horses (all types of programs
designed to infect computers) are created by hackers
in an attempt to erase information on your computer
or to cause it to stop functioning as it should.
Viruses can also be spread from computer to
computer without the user being aware they are
spreading a virus (such as through email and files on
your computer). Installing anti-virus software and
keeping it up-to-date is a must for internet users.
Maintain Spyware Protection

Spyware programs are designed to collect

information about you, such as websites you visit,
or they may display pop-up advertisements and the
like. You are not usually aware that spyware has
been installed on your computer, but if odd
toolbars appear on your web browser, your default
home page changes, or your computer starts
running slower, there’s a chance it’s spyware.
Spyware can be installed on your computer
through free software that you download and
install, and/or websites you visit.
 Back Up Your Data

Make sure you regularly back up the data on your

computer.
If a virus or other type of malicious software does
somehow find its way onto your computer, you can
then restore your computer’s data and settings to
an earlier time, that is, before the virus infected
your computer.
 Playing It Safe

Although Windows does its best to keep your

computer secure, it really does come down to you
being aware of the types of threats that exist, how
they can end up on your computer, and what you
need to be aware of and can do to ensure that your
computer and valuable data stays safe.
 Scheduling Anti-virus

Configure antivirus scan options with antivirus

settings
Antivirus gives you complete control over how
antivirus scans run on targeted devices, and which
options are available to end users. For example,
depending on the purpose or scheduled time of an
antivirus scan, you may want to show the Antivirus
client on end user devices, allow the end user to
perform antivirus scans, view and restore quarantined
objects, download virus definition file updates on their
own, and so on. You can do this by creating and
applying antivirus settings to a scan task.
 Conti…
With antivirus settings, you can configure the following
options:
Whether the Antivirus icon appears in device system trays
(providing end user access to antivirus scanning, quarantine
and backup viewing, and file handling tasks)
Real-time email scanning
End user right-click scans
CPU usage
Owner (to restrict access)
Scheduled antivirus scans
Quarantine/backup folder size
 Conti…
Restoring infected and suspicious objects
Specifying which files, folders, and file types to scan
Scan exclusions
Whether to use heuristic analysis for detecting suspicious
files
Whether to scan for risk ware
Real-time file protection (including which files to scan,
heuristics, and exclusions)
Downloading virus definition file updates (pilot test versions,
scheduled downloads, end user download permission, and
direct downloads from the security content serve