There are different types of malicious software, often referred to as malware that threatens your computers. Malware is a term used to designate several forms of perverse software such as viruses, trojan horses, worms, spyware, just to name a few.
The first computer virus is said to date back as early as 1949, but the earliest known computer virus arose in 1971 and was named the “Creeper virus.” Following many other viruses, the first known microcomputer viruses that spread by floppy disk “in the wild” and attached itself to Apple II operating system. This virus was originally written as a joke around 1982 by a 15 year old high school student and put onto a game disk.
Worms are a common method for spam mail senders. The main objective for these malicious viruses is to spread to other systems by replicating themselves quickly. They are able to delete files, slow down the computer’s resources and possibly even shutting the system down. Worms are automatic and usually invisible to the user and makes it known when their uncontrolled replication causes slowing or freezing up your computer.
Unlike Worms, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves. Trojans come across as useful, interesting, mandatory programs. Trojans trick you into downloading or installing programs that cause harm to your computer. When installed, a Trojan will generally have unlimited access to do whatever the attacker has the opportunity to do.
Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unintentionally install the product when they install something else. Spyware aims to gather information about you or your organization, whether it be banking information, log in passwords or internet surfing history without your knowledge. This stolen data can then be passed on to another party, used for advertising and can lead to system crashes.
Antivirus software was originally designed to expose and remove computer viruses to prevent them from spreading. It has become essential to update antiviruses more frequently with new viruses out there.
Ransomware is affecting small organizations worldwide. It is believed that ransomware started in Russia in 2005-2006. By 2012, this malware hit the US as well as Canada and is now becoming more rapid and widespread targeting organizations of all sizes, concentrating on small business. The reason these cybercriminals are focusing on small businesses is because they are not as savvy when it comes to security and data backup, often times going without protection and backup solutions. These criminals know your business needs your data and operations up and running so you are more likely to pay the ransom without hesitation.
Ransomware holds your computer “hostage” until you pay the ransom to the malware operators. This software takes over when you click on an infected email, website, attachment or advertisement. Once your computer is infected, ransomware is able to encrypt files on the hard drive and restrict access to your computer until you pay the piper. Most hackers claim they are from local law enforcement agencies demanding the money by displaying a message on your screen trying to make you think you have done something illegal. In most cases, once you have paid the ransom, you are able to decrypt your files and run your computer back to normal.
Ransomware creators have gained millions of dollars from users. These attacks continue to severely impact and plague business networks.
Make sure you have a plan in the event of an attack.
Always use antivirus software and a firewall. Malware will always find a way in if there is no security to block it.
Always back up your data regularly so you don’t have to be in a situation of paying ransom or end up losing everything.
Private cloud is dedicated to a single organization. With private cloud all the maintenance and management is the organizations responsibility. Private cloud is best for mid-to-large size organizations that have fluctuating needs. You also have direct control over your data and environments.
Private cloud offers added security because your data is protected behind a firewall under the control of your IT department, some companies host their private cloud with an external third-party provider. Private cloud is more expensive, but you have the ability to customize your specific IT requirements and needs.
Along with better security and more flexibility, your private cloud is not shared with other organizations, whether managed on-site or by a service provider. Hardware performance, network performance and storage performance can be specified and customized in the private cloud to meet the demands of your specific workflow.
Public cloud
Managing and securing data is the responsibility of the vendor/partner.
Public cloud is managed by a provider that stores your data in their data center.
No contracts. Saves you money. You pay a fee-for service often based on utilization and data volume.
By spreading infrastructure costs are across a number of users, each can operate on a low-cost plan.
No hardware or maintenance costs incurred by your business.
Primary benefits of the public cloud are the speed with which you can deploy IT resources.
Easy and inexpensive set-up because hardware, application and bandwidth costs are covered by the provider.
Scalability to meet needs.
No wasted resources because you pay for what you use.
There are different types of malicious software, often referred to as malware that threatens your computers. Malware is a term used to designate several forms of perverse software such as viruses, trojan horses, worms, spyware, just to name a few.
The first computer virus is said to date back as early as 1949, but the earliest known computer virus arose in 1971 and was named the “Creeper virus.” Following many other viruses, the first known microcomputer viruses that spread by floppy disk “in the wild” and attached itself to Apple II operating system. This virus was originally written as a joke around 1982 by a 15 year old high school student and put onto a game disk.
Worms are a common method for spam mail senders. The main objective for these malicious viruses is to spread to other systems by replicating themselves quickly. They are able to delete files, slow down the computer’s resources and possibly even shutting the system down. Worms are automatic and usually invisible to the user and makes it known when their uncontrolled replication causes slowing or freezing up your computer.
Unlike Worms, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves. Trojans come across as useful, interesting, mandatory programs. Trojans trick you into downloading or installing programs that cause harm to your computer. When installed, a Trojan will generally have unlimited access to do whatever the attacker has the opportunity to do.
Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unintentionally install the product when they install something else. Spyware aims to gather information about you or your organization, whether it be banking information, log in passwords or internet surfing history without your knowledge. This stolen data can then be passed on to another party, used for advertising and can lead to system crashes.
Antivirus software was originally designed to expose and remove computer viruses to prevent them from spreading. It has become essential to update antiviruses more frequently with new viruses out there.
A low disk space error occurs when the hard drive partition is low on free space. The pop-up error message warning appears each time Windows is open and will alert you when your computer is running low, or out of, depending on where you set the thresholds. You will receive this message every few seconds you are working on the computer until the situation is fixed.
Low disk space may cause noticeable slower performance, program and system freezes, hardware failures, files will not save just to name a few issues. In order to have our computer system properly function, it needs a minimum amount of disk space on the system drive.
In order to restructure your space you can try the following:
Run Disk Cleanup. This tool removes removes a variety of system files and your Recycle Bin.