How to remove all viruses in pendrive?

These are the ways:

1. Use any anti-virus with latest updated virus definitions to scan the pendrive and remove the detected viruses.
   
   
2. Goto command prompt.
   
   
3. Type X: and press enter. You should change the X letter to the drive of the pendrive. Usually, the drive of the pendrive is E, F, G, H or I.
   
   
4. Type dir /AS /S *.* and press enter.
   
   
5. Wait for a little while until it lists all file with system attributes.
   
   
6. Delete the listed file if the file you are sure are not belong to your pendrive. To delete the file, type del /F /A [path of the file] and press enter.
   (Example: del /F /A "X:\abc\debug_32.exe")
   
   
7. If you are sure your pendrive just contain files which are not hidden or system only, you can try this method in command prompt to delete other suspicious virus files.
   Type del /F /AS /S *.* and press enter.
   Type del /F /AH /S *.* and press enter.
   
   
8. Type Exit and press enter.
   
   
9. Done!

Protect Your System From the Internet Evils

Ads, Spyware and Popups: the Internet is an aggressively commercial place. Internet marketing is hugely profitable; owners of frequently visited websites can make a reasonable living just off a few banner ads placed on their site. Software was quickly developed that would attempt to block these ads from loading and being displayed leaving the Internet free from irritants so the user could just view the information that they were after. Not surprisingly the Internet fought back with ads becoming more and more tricky in their execution.

The Internet pornography industry is often at the forefront of new advertising technologies. It was they who first discovered methods to lock the 'back' button on the browser from allowing users who stumbled (accidentally or otherwise) into the 'darker' areas of the Internet. Then came Internet-hijacking: changing a browser's home page so that every time the Internet is connected the user is instantly taken to a certain site. There are ads that lie dormant in the system and pop up long after the user has moved on from the original site or even after they've stopped using the internet. These people went everywhere they could, and the rest of the Internet world soon followed.

So, how can we keep ourselves safe? Unfortunately, the answer usually lies in having a number of protection programs running in the background at all times which can slow down a computer. This is a lot more positive than having a computer terminally slowed down by the malicious side of the Internet though, so we just have to take the bad with the good.

The first port of call should be an anti-virus program. If you're even vaguely concerned about online security you're going to need one installed. A friend of mine decided that this was a foolish suggestion and picked up almost 100 viruses in a single day. These programs range in price and quality, with more expensive (but very good) packages such as Norton's Anti Virus (or their comprehensive Internet Security bundle) or free programs, such as AVG Free Edition, available from http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Once you have your computer protected from automated viruses it's time to shield yourself from malicious hackers and their kind with a firewall. Windows XP comes with a firewall straight out of the box, with Service Pack 2 offering security upgrades. MacOS also has a firewall. It's often not a bad idea to install a third party one though, as they are generally more customisable and in a lot of cases more secure. A few good firewalls are ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp) and Kerio Personal Firewall (http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html) as well as those offered in the commercial Internet security packages (such as Norton's, mentioned above).

Next up is the Spyware and ad blocking software that was the initial concern. The two major software packages for spyware protection and removal are Spybot- Search and Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html) and AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) although there are alternatives including a recent Microsoft release. (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx).
These threats are often not dealt with by Internet security packs (strangely enough) although some protection is now starting to be included.

Chances are you will have picked up an ad blocker somewhere in the collection of programs by now, but just in case you can make your Internet browsing experience a less commercial affair by downloading software such as Hitware Lite (http://www.rightutilities.com/products/hitwarelite/hitware_lite.htm) or Stop the Popup (http://www.stopthepopup.com/). These programs stop ads before they reach you, leaving you to browse only the information you're after.

Besides installing protection software your best bet is just to be careful with your surfing. Don't open weird emails with strange attachments if you don't know the origins (don't even open the email... often the viruses and Trojans will have an auto open script written into the email itself, so you've instantly opened up your computer by simply looking at the email). Be careful about the sites you visit. Make sure that you're well protected before entering the Internet 'grey' areas, such as ROM, Warez, Appz etc. sites. If you perform a web search and some of the sites that show up have descriptions and titles consisting only of keywords, it's usually a fair bet that you should stay clear of that site. It usually won't have anything useful to offer and may contain hazardous material. With a bit of care you can keep your system going strong and enjoy the Internet safely and relatively ad free.

Spyware - Is Your Computer Safe?

Spyware is the virtual plague of the new Millenium. You no longer have to receive emails with viruses in them or even click on dangerous links on websites. Simply surfing the web can now leave you wide open to the scourge of spyware. You may also hear spyware referred to as malware.


What is spyware?
Spyware is when a program is placed on your PC without your consent. The most common way for this to happen is when you install a separate application such as a file sharing program or free download utility on your computer. The program you install also places some "extra" programs on your PC. These extra programs perform tasks from recording what websites you visit to popping up ads on your screen. More worrying are the spyware programs that record everything you type on your keyboard. That's right. Your most private instant messages, emails and chat room discussions can easily be stored and transmitted without your approval. Scary stuff!


Are there different types of spyware?
There are many different classifications of spyware but the following are the most dangerous types:


Adware
The most common type of spyware. These are small programs which sit on your computer waiting for you to go online. Once the adware detects that you're connected to the Internet it starts sending you popup, popover and popunder ads for anything from airline tickets to porn site membership. Not only that but information on your viewing habits is then sold on to marketing companies who will then send you more junk email and popup ads than you ever thought possible.



Browser Hijacker
These are just plain annoying. These install themselves on your computer and change your default homepage and search engine to something else. Every time you start your web browser it will bring you to a page filled with ads, porn or other unwanted material. This interrupts your web browsing and is intensely annoying. Most browser hijackers are also data miners. A data mining program reports your web browsing habits to a central database. This information is then sold on to marketing companies.



Keyboard Logger
These programs are designed for one thing - theft. When you log in to your online banking these can record your PIN number. When you check your private email account these programs can record your password. Keyboard loggers are potentially one of the most damaging pieces of spyware because of the potential financial dangers and theft of personal information.



Modem Hijacker
Potentially the most costly spyware. Modem hijackers are also referred to as diallers. Diallers normally install themselves to your computer via a virus infection or from warez, mp3 or adult websites. A dialler is a small piece of software that will dial long distance, premium rate phone numbers when you're not at your PC. These phone numbers are normally for adult chat line services located in Russia, China, South America and the Phillipines. I have personally seen unlucky victims receive $2,000 bills for one month of telephone calls.




How do you remove spyware from your PC?
Thankfully several responsible companies have made it their mission to help eradicate the menace of spyware. You'll need 2 - 3 programs to remove spyware from your PC. The first of these is Ad Aware which is a free download. The second application is Spybot Search and Destroy which is also a free download. Last but not least I'd recommend also getting yourself a copy of CrapCleaner 1.0. These applications can only remove the spyware already on your PC - they cannot protect your PC from being cluttered with new spyware.



How do you stop spyware infecting your PC?
1. Do not click on links offering free movies, competitions, prize draws, free software or anything that looks suspicious. If it looks like a dog, smells like a dog and walks like a dog... well it's a dog.

2. Install firewall software. This is absolutely critical for Broadband or Highspeed users. All computers connected to the Internet today should have firewall software installed - regardless of your connection speed.


3. Make sure your antivirus software is updated. Good antivirus software can find and delete the most harmful types of spyware.


If you'd like more information on fighting viruses drop by www.affiliate-advocate.com for our spyware fighting guide.

Crouching Trojan, Hidden Malware

Trojans are not just more dangerous than computer viruses, they're stealthier, too. Find out where they hide.

Minions of an evil master lurk in your hard drive, crouching in your system registry, ready to pounce.

What Is a Trojan?

The word "Trojan" is a mystery to most people, even many who think they know its true meaning. If more people really understood what Trojans are and the risk they pose, there would be fewer Trojans, since fewer people would ever leave their machines vulnerable to them.

A Trojan is malware. Malware is a special kind of software, like spyware, adware, and viruses that no one wants. Yet a Trojan is more dangerous than any other kind of malware. Unlike those other types of malware, Trojans are not mindless flunkies hurled at your computer by their masters. A Trojan is a master that first craftily infiltrates your PC, then unleashes its malware henchman.

What Trojans Do

• Some Trojans may install worms, which are programs that use your computer and internet connection to send out armies of server requests in the hope of shutting a particular website down, or to spread viruses or worms to other computers.

• Other Trojans are thieves, out to steal your computer's processing power and turn it over to their hacker masters, often by setting up a backdoor, a hidden internet connection that allows for outside manipulation of your machine.

• Some thieving Trojans are fraudsters that may go after your financial information by installing keyloggers that record what you type--especially passwords and important banking numbers.

How Do Trojans Hide?

No one thinks they have a Trojan on their computer until it is too late. That's because they do such a good job of blending in.

• Trojans come disguised in innocuous file names, often pretending to be a helper application to software or an essential operating system component.

• Trojans try to avoid calling attention to themselves, and so will often only interfere a little, if at all, with your computer's performance, choosing instead to do their dirty work while your machine is idle. Computers left on and connected to the internet while their owners are asleep or at work or school are favorite targets.

How Do You Remove Trojans?

Removing Trojans can be a can of worms. Here's why you need to proceed with caution:

• Since Trojans can disguise themselves as software your computer actually needs, you could accidentally delete a vital program or system registry entry. In the worst case scenario, you won't be able to restart your computer.

• Many Trojans are trained for survival. When you try to removal them manually, they may simply copy themselves to another directory.

Intimidated? You don't have to be. Rather than trying to defuse a Trojan yourself, why not call in the bomb squad? Good anti-spyware and antivirus software will fight Trojans, too. Just make sure to look for a program that specifically says it fights Trojans. After all, this is no job for amateurs.

Network Security 101

As more people are logging onto the Internet everyday, Network Security becomes a larger issue. In the United States, identity theft and computer fraud are among the fastest rising crimes. It is important to protect your network and ensure the safety of all computers and users in that network.

What is a Network?

In order to fully understand network security, one must first understand what exactly a network is. A network is a group of computers that are connected. Computers can be connected in a variety of ways. Some of these ways include a USB port, phone line connection, Ethernet connection, or a wireless connection. The Internet is basically a network of networks. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is also a network. When a computer connects to the internet, it joins the ISP’s network which is joined with a variety of other networks, which are joined with even more networks, and so on. These networks all encompass the Internet. The vast amount of computers on the Internet, and the number of ISPs and large networks makes network security a must.

Common Network Security Breeches

Hackers often try to hack into vulnerable networks. Hackers use a variety of different attacks to cripple a network. Whether you have a home network or a LAN, it is important to know how hackers will attack a network.

One common way for a hacker to wreak havoc is to achieve access to things that ordinary users shouldn’t have access to. In any network, administrators have the ability to make certain parts of the network “unauthorized access.” If a hacker is able to gain access to a protected area of the network, he or she can possibly affect all of the computers on the network. Some hackers attempt to break into certain networks and release viruses that affect all of the computers in the network. Some hackers can also view information that they are not supposed to see.

Destructive Attacks

There are two major categories for destructive attacks to a network. Data Diddling is the first attack. It usually is not immediately apparent that something is wrong with your computer when it has been subjected to a data diddler. Data diddlers will generally change numbers or files slightly, and the damage becomes apparent much later. Once a problem is discovered, it can be very difficult to trust any of your previous data because the culprit could have potentially fooled with many different documents.

The second type of data destruction is outright deletion. Some hackers will simply hack into a computer and delete essential files. This inevitably causes major problems for any business and can even lead to a computer being deemed useless. Hackers can rip operating systems apart and cause terrible problems to a network or a computer.

The Importance of Network Security

Knowing how destructive hackers can be shows you the importance of Network Security. Most networks have firewalls enabled that block hackers and viruses. Having anti-virus software on all computers in a network is a must. In a network, all of the computers are connected, so that if one computer gets a virus, all of the other computers can be adversely affected by this same virus. Any network administrator should have all of the essential files on back up disks. If a file is deleted by a hacker, but you have it on back up, then there is no issue. When files are lost forever, major problems ensue. Network security is an important thing for a business, or a home. Hackers try to make people’s lives difficult, but if you are ready for them, your network will be safe.