Are Media Outlets a Vector for the Propagation of Malware on Computers?

Are Media Outlets a Vector for the Propagation of Malware on Computers?

If reports in the media are to be believed, there is a serious outbreak of viruses right now. They are not the types of viruses that make you ill, though they certainly receive their share of media attention. I'm referring to the cyber-borne virus that bypasses your immune system and enters your system via your browser instead of your nose.

However, many of these so-called "viruses" are not viruses at all, a fact that is routinely glossed over in the mainstream media, especially in the headlines and first paragraphs of news stories and radio and television broadcasts.

Dissecting the nature of computer viruses

The media constantly raises virus scares because they incorrectly label all dangerous software as viruses. Malware, short for malicious software, is a serious problem on computers nowadays, and there are at least eleven different kinds. Worms, Trojans, and spyware constitute the vast majority of these threats.

Just how different are computer viruses from previous forms of malicious software? Computer viruses, on the other hand, are virtually the sole known source of recurrent system shutdowns and other readily apparent harm. Worms, Trojans, and spyware are among the most prevalent forms of malware, yet they are often undetectable without a specialized scan.

How serious is the threat from computer viruses?

Nothing to worry about if other forms of malware are so stealthy that they need a dedicated scan to be uncovered. First of all, there's a reason these applications are labeled as harmful; they're made to harm computers, if not yours, then others.

Specifically, worms may spread over a network and cause problems for computers that aren't part of that network. One common usage for worms is to shut down competing websites by flooding the server with requests. There have been cases of worms being used to spread viruses to other computers without infecting the host system first; after all, a worm wouldn't gain anything by bringing down its own host machine.

Even though the Trojan itself is harmless, it may be exploited as a vehicle for the installation of other forms of malware on your system.

Spyware is a kind of malware that, as its name implies, gathers data from your computer and transmits it back to a remote server, so you should be worried about it even if you don't care what happens to anybody else.

Most spyware will just track your online activity to relay information to other applications (adware) about what advertisements to display. But there are malicious spyware applications that steal banking information or carry out full-scale identity theft. Don't believe your computer stores any sensitive information? A keylogger is a feature included in certain spyware applications that records your keystrokes, often with the intent of stealing your passwords. If you ever make an online purchase, a keylogger might enable the thief to make purchases using the same information you entered in, even if you don't save any financial data on your computer.

So why point the finger at the media?

Isn't it a good thing that the media is going crazy over malware, given the risk posed by various forms of it? Also, could they not be excused for reporting carelessly by incorrectly labeling Trojans, worms, spyware, and other forms of malware as "viruses"?

False, false, false.

In this situation, the negative effects of the reporting far outweigh the benefits. The harm that poor reporting has done in this instance is the spread of a fallacy that goes like this: "Only viruses may be considered dangerous software." Viruses are harmful to your PC. This means that my computer is free of harmful programs if it is functioning normally. Only when there is a warning indication do I need to run a check to see if there are any issues with my machine. "

As a result of believing this falsehood, many computer users happily let their antivirus programs get months behind on critical security patches. Another problem is that many users rely only on antivirus software to protect their computers, even though there are many different forms of malware that may not be detected by antivirus programs.

Scan results showing the presence of malware often elicit the response "but I've never had malware on my PC before!" But if they hadn't scanned, they never would have known!

Malware that could have been gotten rid of as soon as the makers of anti-malware software found it will continue to cause serious and long-lasting problems around the world if the mainstream media, especially TV, don't start telling people that their computers need to be scanned automatically at least once a day.

And until then, there will be plenty of chances for the mainstream media to write alarmist tales about "viruses," allowing them to sell more newspapers and reach even more people who constantly drink from the information trough.

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