How Norton Antivirus Protects your Computer

 

Norton Antivirus software is designed to protect your computer against virus attacks.  Viruses come in many forms, and are easily inadvertently downloaded with other software, so every computer should have some form of protection against this form of virus attack. 
 

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A virus is a script that can be activated either by certain actions or at a certain time after downloading. The result could be as simple as a silly message and as devastating as the destruction of your hard disk. You could lose everything you have stored on your computer irretrievably.  There are many types of virus, but below are the ones you might have heard about.  Not the actual virus, but the form it takes.  
 

To be called a virus the script must possess two properties:  it must be able to replicate itself and multiply, and it must also execute itself without any further action on your behalf. Some are programmed to delete files, reformat the hard disk or to damage other executable programs.  Others are not so nasty, and simply multiply, taking up more and more hard disk space, and playing audio files or presenting text messages to you.  There are three basic types of what are commonly called viruses: 
 

The Virus 
 

The virus is the one that started it all, and all such invaders are known to most people as viruses. These are covered by the definitions above, but basically they change the way your computer operates without your permission, and in spite of anything you do to stop it.  They use computer files in order to multiply.  
 

The Worm 
 

While viruses require the host file to be spread for the virus to spread from machine to machine, the worm does not need a host file. They normally live inside files but will usually spread by issuing a document that has the worm script inside the document.  The document is, in effect, the worm and the document can spread from one computer to another and thus replicate itself. It is generally spread in a document or spreadsheet file, while a virus can spread throughout any format of file. When the document is opened the worm does its stuff.  Often spread by emails. 
 

The Trojan Horse 
 

A Trojan pretends to be something that it is not.  Just as in the Iliad, it waits to be opened so that it can invade your space and destroy your belongings.  A Trojan does not multiply as a worm or a virus, but releases a piece of code that does nothing but harm to the host that invited it in.  Just as the Trojans were destroyed by the genius of Odysseus, the Trojan horse waits for you to open an email attachment or download and run a file before stealing your data or even totally destroying it. 
 

So how can Norton antivirus protect you from these pests? What it can do is to recognize known viruses, worms and Trojan horses, and warn you when your computer is infected. What it cannot do is protect you from unknown viruses, and any antivirus software that claims to be able to do that is lying.  How can software recognize a script that has not yet been written or known to be harmful? 
 

If you have Norton antivirus software installed, you will be protected as well as you can possibly be, because that is the nature of Symantec’s business. Symantec market the Norton brand. LiveUpdate is provided with details of new viruses as soon as they become known, and if you update that regularly on your computer you will be protected with the most up to date knowledge of known viruses.  Do it at least once weekly.  You can run it in the background  while doing other things with any noticeable effect on the speed of your computer.  Many people believe that viruses only appear in executable (exe.) programs, but remember the worms and Trojans that can appear in document files and spreadsheets, and also in email attachments.  Open one and you are for it!  
 

Scan all free downloads as soon as you download it, because viruses often come free. The same applies to any hard file transfers, such as from memory sticks, CDs or DVDs. Viruses, worms and Trojans can hide anywhere, and if you have a computer you need good antivirus software. Norton antivirus protection is a good choice because that is their core business.  
 

Other than the above, you should always be suspicious of email attachments. You no longer have to execute or open files any more to activate them; simply clicking on the attachment is enough. Always check out emails with attachments from strangers, even if you have to email them back.  If the email address is a ‘no reply; then delete it without opening it.   
 

Apart from that, jeep your eyes open and use your common sense. Norton antivirus will help tremendously, but you must use it as designed, and activate it on starting your computer.  Add it to your ‘start-up’ list of programs that start automatically.  No program can help you when it is closed.  Keep updating the database of known viruses, worms and Trojans, and scan everything you feel suspicious about.  You can do little more.  
 
 How Norton Antivirus Protects your Computer  
 

Norton Antivirus software is designed to protect your computer against virus attacks.  Viruses come in many forms, and are easily inadvertently downloaded with other software, so every computer should have some form of protection against this form of virus attack. 
 

A virus is a script that can be activated either by certain actions or at a certain time after downloading. The result could be as simple as a silly message and as devastating as the destruction of your hard disk. You could lose everything you have stored on your computer irretrievably.  There are many types of virus, but below are the ones you might have heard about.  Not the actual virus, but the form it takes.  
 

To be called a virus the script must possess two properties:  it must be able to replicate itself and multiply, and it must also execute itself without any further action on your behalf. Some are programmed to delete files, reformat the hard disk or to damage other executable programs.  Others are not so nasty, and simply multiply, taking up more and more hard disk space, and playing audio files or presenting text messages to you.  There are three basic types of what are commonly called viruses: 
 

The Virus 
 

The virus is the one that started it all, and all such invaders are known to most people as viruses. These are covered by the definitions above, but basically they change the way your computer operates without your permission, and in spite of anything you do to stop it.  They use computer files in order to multiply.  
 

The Worm 
 

While viruses require the host file to be spread for the virus to spread from machine to machine, the worm does not need a host file. They normally live inside files but will usually spread by issuing a document that has the worm script inside the document.  The document is, in effect, the worm and the document can spread from one computer to another and thus replicate itself. It is generally spread in a document or spreadsheet file, while a virus can spread throughout any format of file. When the document is opened the worm does its stuff.  Often spread by emails. 
 

The Trojan Horse 
 

A Trojan pretends to be something that it is not.  Just as in the Iliad, it waits to be opened so that it can invade your space and destroy your belongings.  A Trojan does not multiply as a worm or a virus, but releases a piece of code that does nothing but harm to the host that invited it in.  Just as the Trojans were destroyed by the genius of Odysseus, the Trojan horse waits for you to open an email attachment or download and run a file before stealing your data or even totally destroying it. 
 

So how can Norton antivirus protect you from these pests? What it can do is to recognize known viruses, worms and Trojan horses, and warn you when your computer is infected. What it cannot do is protect you from unknown viruses, and any antivirus software that claims to be able to do that is embellishing the facts.  How can software recognize a script that has not yet been written or known to be harmful? There is one exception and that is antivirus software with behavior analysis components. These software packages can identify unknown viruses by behavior.
 

If you have Norton antivirus software installed, you will be protected as well as you can possibly be, because that is the nature of Symantec’s business. Symantec market the Norton brand. LiveUpdate is provided with details of new viruses as soon as they become known, and if you update that regularly on your computer you will be protected with the most up to date knowledge of known viruses.  Do it at least once weekly.  You can run it in the background  while doing other things with any noticeable effect on the speed of your computer.  Many people believe that viruses only appear in executable (exe.) programs, but remember the worms and Trojans that can appear in document files and spreadsheets, and also in email attachments.  Open one and you are for it!  
 

Scan all free downloads as soon as you download it, because viruses often come free. The same applies to any hard file transfers, such as from memory sticks, CDs or DVDs. Viruses, worms and Trojans can hide anywhere, and if you have a computer you need good antivirus software. Norton antivirus protection is a good choice because that is their core business.  
 

Other than the above, you should always be suspicious of email attachments. You no longer have to execute or open files any more to activate them; simply clicking on the attachment is enough. Always check out emails with attachments from strangers, even if you have to email them back.  If the email address is a ‘no reply; then delete it without opening it.   
 

Apart from that, keep your eyes open and use your common sense. Norton antivirus will help tremendously, but you must use it as designed, and activate it on starting your computer.  Add it to your ‘start-up’ list of programs that start automatically.  No program can help you when it is closed.  Keep updating the database of known viruses, worms and Trojans, and scan everything you feel suspicious about. 
 
 
 

Keywords:  Norton antivirus, antivirus software, Trojan horse virus, worm virus, symantec