DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPUTER VIRUSES

Computer viruses come in a variety of types. Breaking them into categories is not easy as many viruses have multiple characteristics and so would fall into multiple categories.

A computer virus is a program designed to harm or cause harm on an infected computer. Its spreads through e-mail attachments, portable devices, websites containing malicious scripts and file downloads. A computer virus attaches itself to the host files and always activate whenever you open the infected files. The virus can replicate itself and then infect the other files on your computer causing more damage. Below is a list of different types of computer viruses and what they do.

The Types of Viruses

Virus Type	What It Does	How Affects Our PC
Program or File Virus	Infects executables (other programs, with affixes such as EXE, BIN, COM, SYS)	Destroys or alters programs and data.
Boot sector Virus	Infects boot sectors on hard and floppy disks	Destroys or alters programs and data.
Multipartite Virus	A hybrid of a program and boot sector virus	Destroys or alters programs and data.
Macro Virus	Triggers on a command in  Microsoft Office	Commonly affects Word & Excel
Stealth Virus	Uses various tactics to avoid detection.	Destroys or alters programs and data.
Polymorphic Virus	Uses encryption to foil detection, so that it appears differently in each infection.	Destroys or alters programs and data.

Macro Viruses

These viruses infect the files created using some applications or programs that contain macros such as doc, pps, xls and mdb. They automatically infect the files with macros and also templates and documents that are contained in the file. They hide in documents shared through e-mail and networks.

Macro viruses include:

• Relax
• bablas
• Melissa.A
• 097M/Y2K

Memory Resident Viruses

They usually fix themselves inside the computer memory. They get activated every time the OS runs and end up infecting other opened files. They hide in RAM.

Memory Resident Viruses Include:

• CMJ
• meve
• randex
• mrklunky

Overwrite Viruses

These types of viruses delete any information in a file they infect, leaving them partially or completely useless once they are infected. Once in the computer, they replaces all the file content but the file size doesn’t change.

Overwrite Viruses Include:

• Trj.Reboot
• way
• trivial.88.D

Direct Action Viruses

These viruses mainly replicate or take action once they are executed. When a certain condition is met, the viruses will act by infecting the files in the directory or the folder specified in the AUTOEXEC.BAT. The viruses are generally found in the hard disk’s root directory, but they keep on changing location.

Direct Action Viruses Include:

• Vienna virus

Directory Virus

Also known as cluster virus or file system virus. They infect the computer’s directory by changing the path indicating file location. They are usually located in the disk but affect the entire directory.

Directory Viruses Include:

• dir-2 virus

Web Scripting Virus

Most web pages include some complex codes in order to create an interactive and interesting content. Such a code is often exploited to cause certain undesirable actions. They mostly originate from the infected web pages or browsers.

Web Scripting Viruses Include:

• JS.Fortnight – a virus that spreads via malicious emails.

Multipartite Virus

These type of viruses spread in many different ways. Their actions vary depending on the OS installed and presence of certain files. They tend to hide in the computer’s memory but do not infect the hard disk.

Multipartite Viruses Include:

• flip
• invader
• tequila

FAT Viruses

These lardy viruses attack the file allocation table (FAT) which is the disc part used to store every information about the available space, location of files, unusable space etc.

FAT Viruses Include:

• the link virus

Companion Viruses

These types of viruses infect files just like the direct action and the resident types. Once inside the computer, they ‘accompany’ other existing files.

Companion Viruses Include:

• Asimov.1539
• stator and terrax.1069

Polymorphic Virus

They encode or encrypt themselves in a different way every time they infect your computer. They use different encryption and algorithms. This makes it difficult for the antivirus software to locate them using signature or string searches (since they are very different in each encryption).

Polymorphic Viruses Include:

• Marburg
• tuareg
• Satan bug
• elkern

Worm

This program is very similar to a virus and has the ability to self-replicate leading to negative effects on your computer.

Worm Viruses Include:

• lovgate.F
• sobig.D
• trile. C
• PSWBugbear.B
• Mapson

Trojans

Trojans can illegally trace important login details of users online. For example E-Banking is very common among users, therefore, vulnerability of tracing your login details whenever your PC is working without any strong powerful antivirus installed.

Email Virus

This is a virus spread via an email. Such a virus will hide in an email and when the recipient opens the mail.

Browser Hijacker

This virus can spread in many different ways including a voluntary download. If infects certain browser functions especially in form of re-directing the user automatically to certain sites. A good example is

Browser Hijackers Include:

• the cool web search

Boot Infectors

They include the boot sector plus master boot record types. All the viral codes can be separate location; however they infect the hard disks or the floppy.

Boot Infectors Include:

• the brain virus -it is the very first wild virus to be created.

From what we have seen, the many types of computer viruses and their effects are very harmful and can completely damage your system. Always make sure your system is up to date. Also install antivirus software. The antivirus program protects your computer and the personal information in it.

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Ways Social Media Can Be Used For Good

We often stuck to our social media news feeds from morning to night. With the fear of missing out (FoMO), we get distracted by a friend’s tropical holiday snaps on Facebook or find ourselves liking a photo on Instagram of our neighbor's dinner. Businesses are getting in on the act too, by building their audiences and driving sales.

Unfortunately though, you can also find a lot of negativity, conflict and controversy on social media. But what gets overlooked is how social media can create a lot of positivity in the world too. This article takes a step back and looks at 10 ways social media can be used for social good:

1. Help charitable causes

For charities and charitable campaigns, social media is a great way to capture people’s attention. An example is James Rudland’s Sleeping Bag Appeal. Thanks to Facebook, it was a huge success and had people sending sleeping bags for the homeless from all around the world.

2. Raise awareness

Social media can be used to raise awareness about various issues, from homelessness and racism, to AIDS and environmental concerns. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow these messages to not just be heard by people regionally, or even nationally, but globally. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is certainly leading the way in raising awareness, currently with almost 3 million Facebook followers.

3. Respond to tragedy

When the Boston Marathon bombings and Hurricane Sandy happened, social media erupted. People used social media to pull together as a community, to provide help, advice and support. Facebook has now even added a new feature, Safety Check, which allows people in a conflicted area to let friends and family know they are safe.

4. Open communication channels

People can find themselves in all kinds of difficulties, such as financial problems, health worries or may even be dealing with loss. Facebook Groups, for example can help open up communication and enable people going through similar situations to talk, regardless of their geography.

5. Share hope

As well as a place to talk about life’s difficulties, social media can also share the hope. Lisa Lynch, who had terminal cancer, wrote a blog to help herself and family make sense of what she was going through. However, what she didn’t realize was that she was also becoming an inspiration to many others who were facing similar fears.

6. Create unity

We’re used to seeing people fall out on social media, with a celebrity feud list too long to even remember. However, following a tragedy like the latest Paris attacks, it was moving to see everyone around the world stop and unite. Many people also reacted by changing their profile pictures, out of respect for those who lost their lives and as a sign of solidarity.

7. Reunite loved ones

Whether you’ve lost someone in conflict, in times of tragedy or drifted apart over time, social media can help reunite friends and loved ones (and even pets). Homeless man, Jimmy Francis, shows how it is possible, reconnecting with his daughter after 24 years, with the help of Facebook.

8. Create Positivity

There can be a lot of negativity in the world (including online), but social media can also be a great place to go for some positivity, whether you like reading daily quotes, listening to inspirational stories, or even just having a laugh by watching a baby panda sneeze!

9. Promote fundraising

Whether you work for a charity or are just an individual, passionate about a cause and want to raise money, sites like Facebook and Twitter are a good way to get the word out there about your fundraising activities.

10. Generate support

As well as donating money, people can help in many other ways. Whether you have a charity event, want people to give their time, share their expertise, or volunteer at a soup kitchen, social media sites can be a good place to go to encourage people to get involved.

Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own lives that we forget how much we can help others around the world and we can do it using the tools that we use every single day! The incredible thing about social media though is that not only can you make a difference in your local community, you can also make a difference all around the world.

Source:http://www.digitalinformationworld.com

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FotoJet Review: Create beautiful photo collages and cards online with FotoJet Read

FotoJet is a site that offers the chance to put together photo collages for nearly every kind or occasion! Styles and templates range from quirky to minimalistic to elegant; and it's easy to find what you want and discover what you need.

FotoJet is an easy collage maker & graphic designer that offers dozens of delicate templates for creating collages, photo cards, social media graphics, posters and other photo designs with personal photos.

 You can try it here: https://www.fotojet.com.

We love that the user interface is clean and simple to navigate through, and getting the finished product to where you want it to go is direct! They have made enough features available for adding personal editing preferences but not an overwhelming amount of unnecessary options. FotoJet has something people look for and they offer it well! Go check https://www.fotojet.com

FotoJet allows you to edit photos, create collages, cards and so on, with great ease. It is undoubtedly, the best free online collage maker out there. It allows you to create a photo card or to create a collage using features such as the collage maker and create posters using the poster maker.

In this FotoJet Review, you’ll find all the information you need about this free online collage maker, which we believe to be one of the simplest photo editing tools available online. FotoJet is a user-friendly solution from PearlMountain Technology Co. which makes photo editing a breeze.

There are dozens of photo editing solutions out there, both online and offline – so what’s special about FotoJet? For a start, if you’ve used the other photo editing solutions/products that are available, both free and paid, you will know that you need at least some technical expertise to work with them. You’ll need to learn how they work by reading an instruction set or a “Help” menu.

That’s not the case with FotoJet – FotoJet allows you to edit photos, create collages, cards and so on, with maximum ease. It is quite simply, the best free online collage maker out there. It allows you to create a photo card or to create a collage using features such as the collage maker and create posters using the poster maker.

How to Use FotoJet?

It is surprisingly easy to use FotoJet. Here, we explain how it works. Essentially, creating a collage or a poster with FotoJet is a 3-step process. To get started, visit the website www.fotojet.com.

Choose a Design

FotoJet offers several templates and designs for making collages, photo cards, posters, etc. Choose a design you like best and get started.

Add Your Photos and Have Fun With Them

Now, upload your photos, whether from the hard drive on your computer or from Facebook, to FotoJet. You can easily adjust your photos any way you like. Fotojet has a very simple drag-and-drop interface; you can just upload your pictures and drag them where you want them. You can then zoom in the photos, flip them and do anything you like with them to make a beautiful collage.  FotoJet is amazing that way; it allows you to do anything you want to, with your photos.

Share & Save Your Collage

Save your collage as a JPG or PNG image if needed.

Directly share collage to your Facebook online.

Suggest by , Angela "PearlMountain Technology"

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What is Red Nose Day?

You've probably noticed a lot of photos lately of celebrities wearing red clown noses.

It's all part of an effort to bring attention to "Red Nose Day," which started in Britain in 1988 to raise money for poverty-stricken children in the UK and Africa. This year, the fund-raiser has extended to the United States, where NBC is airing a three-hour special Thursday night.

What is it? It's sponsored by Comic Relief UK, an organization founded after the 1985 Live Aid concert. (It helped inspire -- but has no other relation to -- the American telethon started by Bob Zmuda and long hosted by Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal.) The British event is held every two years. There are also Red Nose Days in Finland, Germany and Iceland.

How has it done? According to the Red Nose Day website, it's raised more than £78 million (about $122 million at current exchange rates).

Why is it just coming to the United States? Part charity and part business, according to accounts. Variety reported that NBC executive Paul Telegdy used to work for the BBC, which has aired Red Nose Day events since the late '80s. He's seen the power of the event in Britain for raising money for a good cause.

But it's also an opportunity to raise awareness of the NBCUniversal brand networks, he added.

"Live events are really, really important to this company. And this is one of those times when you get to do something that is great entertainment but also really stands for something," he said.

For his part, writer and director Richard Curtis ("Notting Hill," "Love, Actually"), who co-founded the event, is thrilled.

"For many years, I have dreamt of bringing Red Nose Day to the US, and I am so excited that we have teamed up with NBC, who will do such a brilliant job on this," he said on the Red Nose Day website. "Experience has taught me how extraordinarily compassionate and generous Americans can be, and I've lived my life in awe of American comedy talent. So putting those two things together will, I hope, create an amazing event that will really make a massive difference to the lives of millions of children and their families in the US and in the poorest countries around the world."

What charities are involved? They include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Children's Health Fund, Feeding America, the National Council of La Raza and the United Way.

Red Nose Day Facts Red Nose Day is a biennial telethon broadcast fundraising event for people to act silly while raising money for charities. It began in 1988 as a broadcast to raise money by Comic Relief. Comic Relief is an organization that launched in 1985 to raise money to address poverty and social injustice throughout the world through the use of comedy and laughter. The event is held every two years as a U.K fundraising event, and it encourages people to wear a red nose and act silly to help raise money. On red Nose Day the BBC One broadcasts comedy and documentary films, bringing the U.K. together to address poverty and injustice in Africa and in the U.K.

Interesting Red Nose Day Facts:
The first broadcast by the charity Comic Relief took place on Christmas Day on BBC One, from the Sudan in a refugee camp.
In 1988 Comic Relief broadcast the first Red Nose Day. It is held in March every two years.
Issues covered by Red Nose Day in Africa include HIV and AIDS education, literacy, immunization, and community rebuilding.
Issues covered by Red Nose Day in the U.K. include discrimination and prejudice against disabled people, rights of older people, and domestic violence escape routes for women.
Every pound (U.K. money) raised goes to helping others. The charity itself is run by donations, and by volunteers so money donated for Red Nose Day events is spent on helping others.
The mission of Comic Relief is to drive positive change through the use of entertainment.
Comic Relief's founders were Alexander Mendes and Richard Curtis. Richard Curtis is a screenwriter. He wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones's Diary (and the sequel), The No. 1 Detective Agency, and One Night with Robbie Williams. They started the charity in response to the famine that was occurring in Ethiopia.
The first Red Nose Day event raised a whopping 15 million pounds. In 2009 the event raised 82 million pounds. In 2011 Red Nose Day raised 108 million pounds. In total since its beginning the Comic Relief charity has raised more than 600 million pounds.
76 countries have benefited from Red Nose Day fundraising events.
More than 11,000 projects in the United Kingdom have been funded by Red Nose Day contributions alone.
Comic Relief raises money all year long to support their work, not just on Red Nose Day.
Money raised in New Zealand on Red Nose Day goes to help fund research into SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
The name for Red Nose Day was inspired by the fact that clowns wear red noses and make people laugh by doing silly things.
Some of the charities given funds by Comic Relief include Oxfam, Christian Aid, Sight Savers, and Save the Children Fund.
Celebrities often get involved with Red Nose Day, including Kate Moss, Simon Cowell, Hugh Grant, Damian Lewis, Lily Allen, David Williams, and Nick Grimshaw.
Comic Relief also has other telethon events to raise money for its causes, including Sport Relief, and Children in Need.

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