Computer
Virus and Malware Primer for Network Administrators
NEW!
This primer won't make you an expert overnight, but
it will introduce you to the basic concept of malware, identify the various
types of viruses and malware, explain common industry terminology, decipher the
CARO virus naming convention, and provide additional information that will help
you research, combat, and recover from a malware threat or outbreak. It also
includes some proactive steps you can use to help prevent a major outbreak on
your network. Source: LabMice.net
CkNow
AntiVirus Tutorial
An excellent, comprehensive, plain English tutorial on computer virus
history, common terms, and anti-virus technology. Source: CKnow
Who
Goes There? An Introduction to On-Access Virus
Scanning, Part One
By now, most savvy computer users have anti-virus
software (AV) installed on their machines and use
it as part of their regular computing routine.
However, most average users do not know how
anti-virus software works. This two-part series
will offer a brief overview of a particular type of
anti-virus mechanism know as on-access virus
scanners. Source: SecurityFocus.com
An overview of Computer Viruses and Anti-Virus software
A slightly dated, but well written introduction to the topic. (last updated Jan 1997)
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AntiVirus Policy
Sample AV policy suitable for home or small office. Source: SecurityPortal.com
Computer
Viruses
This report briefly introduces computer viruses and how they
effect network security. Many people are afraid of viruses,
mostly because they do not know much about them. This report
will guide you in the event of a virus infection. Source: Helsinki
University of Technology
Computer Viruses Demystified
Despite our awareness of computer viruses, how many of us can define what one is, or how it infects computers? This paper aims to demystify the basics of computer viruses, summarizing what they are, how they attack and what we can do to protect ourselves against them. Source: Sophos.com
(Oct 1999)
Computer
virus prevention: a primer
This white paper describes the current virus situation, common virus entry
points, procedures for preventing infection, types of anti-virus software, deployment and administration of
anti-virus software, and measures for recovering from a virus attack. Source: Sophos.com
(Aug 2000)
Dangerous E-Mail: Return to Sender
How active content made the Melissa virus and the ExploreZip worm possible Source: Network Magazine (Sept 1999)
Dr Solomon's "Don't Panic" Guide
An excellent guide for new administrators on what to do if you're infected.
Dr Solomon's AV Toolkit Technical Notes
Various Whitepapers and other technical guides.
Evaluating Anti-Virus Software for
Home Use
All anti-virus products are not created equal. Before you run
down to your local computer store or jump on the Internet and
order some anti-virus software, take a moment to think about
what you need and why you need it. This article will provide
readers with an idea of the things they should consider when
they are considering which anti-virus software to purchase.
Although this discussion will not assess software from specific
vendors, it will offer some resources to allow readers to assess
the best software for their purposes. Source:
SecurityFocus.com
Glossary of virus types
Description of the most common and interesting types of viruses and other malicious software. Source: Sophos.com (Dec 1999)
IBM's Scientific Papers
Another great resource that will keep you busy for hours. Make sure you check out The Generic Virus Writer: An excellent and unique profile of 4
virus writers by Sarah Gordon. Part 2 is finished and available here.
Introduction to Viruses and
Malicious Code, Part One
In this, the first of a two-part series, we will introduce you
to
viruses and other
malicious code that can threaten your data and system
security. We will discuss the different types of viruses and
malicious code, what they are, how they infect your computer and
what damage they can cause. Source: SecurityFocus.com
(Dec 27 2000)
Introduction to Viruses and Malicious Code, Part Two
In the second part of this series, we will describe how you can
protect yourself and your valuable information against malicious
code and discuss a variety of recovery techniques in the event
of a virus 'attack' Source: SecurityFocus.com (Dec 27,
2000)
An
Introduction to Viruses and Malicious Code, Part Three:
Detecting and Resolving Virus Infections
In this installment, we will take a step-by-step approach in
dealing with a virus infection. As well, we will look at a
real-life example of removing a worm from an infected system.
Source: SecurityFocus.com (April 30, 2001)
Heuristic
Techniques in AV Solutions: An Overview
Heuristic
technologies can be found in nearly all current
anti-virus (herein referred to as AV) solutions
and also in other security-related areas like
intrusion detection systems and attack analysis
systems with correlating components. This article
will offer a brief overview of generic heuristic
approaches within AV solutions with a particular
emphasis on heuristics for Visual Basic for
Applications-based malware. Source:
SecurityFocus.com
How
Nimda changed computer security
This week marks the first anniversary of the Nimda
virus attack, an event that may have driven more
corporate IT security changes during the past 12
months than the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks did.
Source: ComputerWorld (Sept 16, 2002)
Introduction to computer viruses
What is a computer virus? How infection occurs. How viruses escape detection. Virus side-effects. How viruses spread. Anti-virus measures. Source: Sophos.com (May 1998)
Java Security FAQ
Java can be a useful tool, but can also be used to write malicious applets that can wreak havoc. This FAQ by Sun Microsystems should clear up some of the major issues.
Malware Myths and Misinformation, Part 1
This article is the first of a three-part series
looking at some of the myths and misconceptions
that undermine anti-virus protection. The fallacies
we address here tend to begin with the words "I'm
safe from viruses because..." Source:
SecurityInfo.com
Microsoft's Guide to Macro Viruses
A Basic Guide, but still has some useful information. The ironic thing is that Microsoft has unintentionally distributed several Macro Viruses on their own CD's. Get the full story here
Stopping Infection: An AntiVirus Tutorial Part 1
A decent primer by Diane E Levine, President of Strategic Systems Management, from Planet IT September 1999. Part 2 is here
Summary of Virus Reports sent to Avast Anti-Virus
A quick and interesting read...
The Evolution of 32-Bit Windows Viruses
The world of computer antivirus research has changed drastically since the introduction of Windows 95. One reason for this change is that certain DOS-based viruses that used stealth techniques and undocumented DOS features became incompatible with Win95. As a result, virus writers
took on the challenge of investigating the new OS and began creating new Win95-compatible DOS-executable viruses and boot viruses. Source: Windows & .NET Magazine (July 2000)
The Evolution of Malicious Agents
This paper examines the evolution of malicious agents by analyzing features and limitations of popular viruses, worms, and trojans, detailing the possibility of a new breed of malicious agents currently being developed on the Internet. Source: SecurityPortal (April 2000)
The V-Files: A dictionary of file threats
This White Paper is an alphabetical lexicon containing descriptions of file types, formats, and virus information. Its purpose is to offer information about the types of files that can be infected by particular viruses. It also contains tips on how you can better protect your
computer. Source: Sophos.com (May 1999)
Trend
Micro Virus Primer
An excellent primer on how viruses work, how they are
spread, common terminology, evolution of viruses, and what you
can do about them.
USENET Virus FAQ's
List of FAQ's maintained for Virus related newsgroups
Understanding Virus Behavior in the Windows NT Environment
A must read article from Symantec
Viruses - An Overview
Introductory guide to definitions, types of viruses, virus techniques, famous viruses, naming conventions, and useful links. Source: Security Portal
What's
in a virus's name? Everything you need to know!
A look at how viruses get their name. Source: ZDnet
(Jan 9, 2002)
ZDNet Virus SuperGuide
Virus alerts, updates, and articles from Ziff Davis.
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