One of the problems with the detection and elimination of computer viruses is that there are many hoax viruses that exist that make computer users believe that legitimate virus threats are also hoaxes. Thousands of e-mails are sent from one person to another everyday warning of new computer viruses and how they are contracted. Many of these warnings are the equivalent of “crying wolf” to computer users, and the problem is that once enough hoaxes have been passed along, users begin to automatically dismiss all warnings of viruses as hoaxes.

Part of the problem with virus hoaxes is that many computer users pass them to their entire contact list before checking the legitimacy of the message. There are several websites devoted to exposing hoax viruses in an effort to stop the spread of false information and help people to focus on viruses that are real threats.

Another problem with hoax virus alerts is that many computer users spend a great deal of time checking their system and deleting questionable files for a virus that is nothing more than a rumor. Network administrators may shut down entire networks, rendering thousands of computers useless while they check the validity of a virus hoax. Again, a quick check of one of several websites can quickly determine whether or not a virus warning is legitimate.

There are several well known virus hoaxes that have been circulating for years. Chances are, you may have received messages with warnings related to these hoaxes at one time or another.

One famous hoax is the Budweiser Frogs Screensaver Hoax, an e-mail claiming that downloading the screensaver would steal all usernames and passwords and erase the user’s entire hard drive.

One of the oldest and most well known virus hoaxes originated in 1994 and is called the “Good Times” Virus Hoax. The e-mail would warn recipients that any e-mail with the phrase “good times” in the subject line would expose the computer to a virus if the e-mail was opened. Users were told to delete the e-mail without opening it.

There are a few ways to make sure that users don’t waste time and energy on virus hoaxes. First, common sense and reason should be enough for a computer user not to worry about outrageous warnings. Some virus hoaxes claim that opening certain E-mails will, for example, cause a computer to “explode.” There is no known virus that will cause a computer explosion, but some users waste their own time and their recipient’s time spreading concerns such as this.

Many of the virus hoaxes that are sent to E-mail boxes are sent by spammers who are simply flooding the Internet with as much useless garbage as possible. Hackers are getting more creative every day, and an effective virus hoax can be nearly as crippling to a computer network as a legitimate virus. The best policy is to have effective anti-virus software, trust that software, and do your part to stop the spread hoax virus E-mails.

If you’re concerned about identity theft over the internet (and everyone who uses the net should be!) you can download a free ebook by Todd Feinman called “Scared Safe: Life’s Little Identity Protection Handbook”.

It covers a lot of information that everyone who’s online should be aware of.

You can get more information and download the book from here:

Free e-book: “Scared Safe: Life’s Little Identity Theft Protection Handbook”

One of the most important things you can do if you connect to the Internet at all is to make sure that you have internet security in place. Internet security leads to prevention of several problems that can harm or even destroy your data. Some of the security issues for Internet users to be aware of include:

- Hackers: Hackers are users who work to find loopholes in Internet security systems and exploit those loopholes. Their intentions could be anything from a desire to copy confidential information to generally just trying to cause trouble. Regardless of a hacker’s purpose, Internet users are at risk and should ensure that they safeguard their computer and personal information.

- Viruses: Viruses are computer programs designed to infiltrate unsuspecting user computers, replicate themselves, spread to other computers, destroy data, and interfere with the operation of your computer. Viruses are most commonly spread through attachments in E-mails, instant messages, or other downloads.

- Spyware: Spyware is software that plants itself on your computer and collects personal information, usually for the purpose of targeting advertising. Adware is spyware that allows advertisements to pop up on your screen based on the information it has gathered from your hard drive. Not all spyware is harmful, but it generally ends up on your computer without your consent and users need to be aware of it, as it can disrupt your computer’s performance.

- Worms: A worm is a program that replicates itself and sends itself to other computers on your network, usually undetected. While a virus has to attach itself to an existing program, a worm does not–it can replicate and spread on its own. Worms can shut down computer function because of the bandwidth they use.

- Phishing Scams: Phishing is essentially tricking a computer user into giving away valuable personal information such as bank account numbers, social security numbers, and credit card numbers. In a phishing scam, the user may receive an E-mail that appears to be sent from their bank asking for the user to confirm personal information. The goal of a phishing scam is to use this information against the victim of the scan.

- Spam: Spamming is the act of sending messages to multiple users indiscriminately in an attempt to flood the Internet with advertising or other information. While spam itself will not likely harm your computer, it can be a nuisance and distraction from the web content you’re really looking for. It’s also easy to hide viruses in links provided through spam messages.

There are ways to protect yourself from the above internet security issues. First, make sure that your computer is equipped with anti-virus software to detect and eliminate security issues. Second, make passwords difficult to guess and change your passwords often. Third, install updates as they become available. Finally, be smart about your online activities. Refuse to click on links that are from unfamiliar or suspicious sources. These issues can be hard to detect, but the available security measures should take care of most issues.