What are the ways online viruses spread?

In addition to traditional floppy disks, U disks and pirated CDs, computer viruses are currently mainly spread through the Internet.

Based on the analysis of current virus characteristics, there are two ways of transmission, one is through the network, and the other is through hardware devices. First, let’s take a look at the ways and solutions for network communication.

Network communication is divided into two types: Internet communication and local area network communication. In the network information age, the Internet and local area networks have been integrated into people's lives, work and study, and have become an indispensable part of social activities. The Internet, in particular, has been increasingly used to obtain information, send and receive files, receive and publish new messages, and download files and programs. With the rapid development of the Internet, computer viruses have also embarked on a path of rapid spread and have become the number one way of spreading computer viruses.

1. Internet communication:

The Internet is convenient and fast. It not only improves people's work efficiency, but also reduces operating costs. It is gradually accepted by people and widely used. Business emails, web browsing, software downloads, instant messaging software, online games, etc. are all conducted through the medium of the Internet. Such frequent usage is destined to be "favored" by viruses.

Spreading through email:

As computers and the Internet become increasingly popular today, business China Unicom uses more emails to deliver, and viruses have also found carriers. The most common ones are through Exchange documents in Word format over the Internet. Due to the widespread use of the Internet, its spread speed is quite rapid. Emails carry viruses, Trojans, and other malicious programs that can cause the recipient's computer to be hacked. Email protocol newsgroups, file servers, FTP downloads and BBS file areas are also the main forms of virus spread. Virus creators often upload virus-carrying files to FTP and BBS, usually by sending them in groups to different groups. Many viruses are disguised as new versions of some software, or even anti-virus software. Many virus epidemics rely on this method to infect thousands of computers at the same time.

BBS is a communication site voluntarily organized by computer enthusiasts. Because it is easy to get on the site and requires little investment, it is very popular among users. Users can exchange files (including free software, games, etc.) on BBS. self-programmed). Since BBS sites generally do not have strict security management and no restrictions, this provides some virus program writers with a place to spread viruses. BBS stations in various cities are transmitted through central stations, and the spread is wide. With the popularity of BBS in China, new media have been added to the spread of viruses.

Expert Tip: Develop good security awareness. Do not open unfamiliar emails and attachments from unknown sources, and be extra cautious even if they are emails from relatives and friends.

Spread by browsing web pages and downloading software:

Many netizens have encountered this situation. After browsing a certain web page, the IE title has been modified, and every time it is opened, IE is forced to log in to a fixed website, and some are even prohibited from restoring. This is malicious code at work. When your IE is modified, the registry cannot be opened. After booting, IE opens windows crazily and is forced to install some software you do not want to install. It may even be that your hard drive is formatted when you visit a certain web page. ...then unfortunately, you must have been poisoned by a malicious website or malware.

When you browse some unhealthy websites or mistakenly enter some hacker sites, and when you visit these sites or click on some links or download software, they will be automatically installed in your browser or system. Some kind of spy program. These spy programs can cause your browser to visit its site from time to time, or intercept your private information and send it to others.

The "Malicious Website Blocking" function uses built-in default and free addition methods to determine the list of malicious websites, identify malicious website addresses, and effectively block viruses and Trojans infected through malicious websites. At the same time, with the daily automatic upgrade of Guanghua anti-virus software, the list of malicious websites will be constantly updated, so there is no need to worry about the limited number of websites in the list.

The "green Internet function" can shield various malicious components that appear during the Internet process, and avoid being disturbed by spyware and adware, allowing you to truly enjoy free online browsing.

Reject malware: In Guanghua anti-virus software, click the menu "Tools → Plug-ins → Green Internet" to open the Green Internet plug-in window. Similarly, Guanghua has made detailed classifications for different types of malware, including domestic, foreign, chat, security, games, etc. We click on the components we want to block in the corresponding categories to block various malicious components that appear during the Internet surfing process and avoid being disturbed by spyware and adware.

"Close IE advertising window" can prohibit pop-up advertisements from certain websites, making you more worry-free when surfing the Internet with IE.

Tip: Do not log in to those tempting small websites, because these websites are likely to have network traps. Do not download software and programs from small websites easily. The downloaded software must be checked for security first and confirmed to be safe and virus-free before installation and use. This ensures that your computer is always in a safe environment.

Propagation through instant messaging software:

Instant Messenger (IM) software can be said to be the software with the highest usage rate among Internet users in my country. Tools have become essential tools for life and work. Due to the large number of users and the security flaws of instant messaging software itself, such as built-in contact lists, viruses can easily obtain propagation targets. These features can be used by viruses to spread themselves, causing them to become virus attacks. Target. In fact, the infamous Cover Letter (Worm.Klez) virus, which caused tens of billions of dollars in losses, was the first vicious worm that could be spread through ICQ. It could traverse the contact list in the local ICQ to spread itself. And more viruses that pose security risks to instant messaging software are still being discovered one after another, and they are becoming more and more serious. Up to now, there are hundreds of viruses spreading through QQ.

P2P, that is, peer-to-peer Internet technology (point-to-point network technology), which allows users to directly connect to other users' computers for file sharing and exchange. Every day, thousands of Internet users around the world exchange resources and share files through P2P software. Since this is an emerging technology and is still far from perfect, there are great security risks. Since it does not go through a relay server, it is more casual to use, so many virus makers began to write viruses that rely on P2P technology.

Tip: When you receive a suspicious message from a friend while chatting, do not click on it at will. You should first confirm whether it is really sent by a friend. To prevent viruses spread through IRC, you need to be careful not to download and execute suspicious files from unfamiliar sites, and do not easily accept files sent by other users in the IRC channel to avoid damage to your computer.

Spread through online games:

Online games have become one of the main subjects of current online activities. More people choose to enter games to relieve the pressure of life and realize self-worth. It can be said that , online games have become an indispensable thing in some people's lives. For gamers, the most important things in online games are virtual items such as equipment and props. Such virtual items will become something of real value over time. Therefore, there is a market for these virtual items. transactions, resulting in the phenomenon of theft of virtual items. If some users want to illegally obtain the user's virtual items, they must obtain the user's game account information. Therefore, the current security problem of online games is mainly the problem of game account theft. Since online games can only be run through a computer and connected to the Internet, the most effective weapon for stealing players’ game accounts and passwords is Trojan horses. There are also endless Trojan horses that specialize in stealing online game accounts and passwords. This kind of attack Weapons are considered favorites by both rookie hackers and network security experts.

2. Local area network communication

A local area network is composed of a group of computers connected to each other. This is the need for data sharing and mutual collaboration. Each computer that makes up a network can connect to other computers, and data can be sent from one computer to other computers. If the data sent is infected with a computer virus, the recipient's computer will automatically be infected, therefore, it is possible to infect computers in the entire network in a very short period of time. The application of local area network technology has made a huge contribution to the development of enterprises, and it has also paved the way for the rapid spread of computer viruses.

At the same time, security risks caused by system vulnerabilities will also cause viruses to spread in the local area network.

3. Transmission through immovable computer hardware equipment

This method of transmission is to spread the virus through immovable computer hardware equipment, among which the computer's application-specific integrated circuit chip (ASIC) ) and hard drives are important transmission media for viruses. Viruses spread through ASIC are extremely rare, but their destructive power is extremely strong. Once they are infected by a virus, they will directly cause damage to the computer hardware. The means of detecting and killing such viruses need to be further improved.

Hard disk is the main storage medium for computer data, so it is also the hardest hit area for computer virus infection. The ways in which hard disks spread computer viruses are: copying virus-containing files from hard disks to floppy disks, formatting floppy disks when they are infected, burning virus-containing files to CDs, copying data between hard drives, and sending virus-containing files to other places. .

Expert tip: It is very important to regularly use genuine anti-virus software to check for viruses.

4. Spreading through mobile storage devices

More computer viruses are gradually using mobile storage devices to spread. Mobile storage devices include our common floppy disks, tapes, optical disks, mobile hard disks, U disks (including digital cameras, MP3, etc.), ZIP and JAZ disks, the latter two are just special disks with relatively large storage capacity. Floppy disks are mainly easy to carry. In the early days when the Internet was not popular, floppy disks were widely used and frequently moved storage media, so they also became a "hotbed" for computer virus parasites. The storage capacity of optical discs is large, so most software is burned on optical discs for transfer to each other. At the same time, software and games on pirated optical discs and illegal copies are also the main ways to spread computer viruses. With the widespread use of large-capacity removable storage devices such as Zip disks, rewritable optical disks, magneto-optical disks (MO), etc., these storage media will also become a place for computer viruses to harbor.

With the development of the times, mobile devices such as mobile hard drives and USB flash drives have also become new attack targets. U disks have gradually become the most widely used and frequently used storage media due to their large storage capacity, providing more ample space for computer viruses to harbor. At present, U disk viruses are gradually increasing, making U disk the second largest virus transmission route.

Expert tip: Users who use mobile devices such as USB flash drives (flash drives) in school public computer rooms, Internet cafes and other specific public places should be particularly careful to prevent being infected by Trojans and damaging their own information. Confidential and stolen.

5. Wireless device transmission

At present, with the opening of mobile phone functionality and the expansion of value-added services, this transmission route has become a virus transmission route that needs to be prevented. . With the popularity of smart phones, more and more programs are being downloaded to mobile phones through MMS, Internet browsing, and mobile phones. This will inevitably cause hidden dangers to mobile phone security. Mobile phone viruses will become the "source" of a new round of computer virus hazards. With the development of mobile phones, especially smart phones and 3G networks, the spread speed and harm of mobile phone viruses are also increasing day by day. The trend of wireless transmission is likely to develop into the second largest virus transmission medium, and is likely to cause the same harm as network transmission.

Expert tip: When using the Internet function on your mobile phone, you should try to browse information and reduce downloading of information and files from the Internet as much as possible. Even if there is a need for this, it is best to download information from some regular websites. Download on. If you receive a text message or email containing a virus, delete it immediately. If the keyboard is locked, remove the battery immediately and then restart the phone to delete it. You can first use the mobile version of Guanghua Anti-Virus software to check for viruses. If it still cannot return to normal, please send your phone to the factory for repair in time to avoid secondary spread of viruses.

There are many types of viruses with different characteristics. As long as you understand their circulation and transmission methods, it is not difficult to monitor and kill them.