Difference Between Computer Adware, Viruses And Trojans

In order to keep your computer clean and free from computer adware, viruses and Trojans it helps to know the difference between them. Many computer users mistakenly believe that their antivirus software isn't working, only to find out later that what their computer has become infected with isn't a virus at all, but a Trojan or adware software. Viruses, while still prevalent are by far the least common of the three.

A virus is something that spreads on its own across a network or by inserting an infected CD, DVD or floppy disk into the drive. Most antivirus software works fine to detect, clean and prevent virus infections on the PC. While it is true that Mac computers rarely ever get viruses, PC's don't get them very often either. What is more commonly seen today is known as adware and Trojans, both of which affect Mac computers and windows based PC's as well.

A Trojan is something that's taken its name from the mythological Greek Trojan horse because like the Trojan horse in the mythology a computer Trojan is a program that is designed to look like something innocent when the real function is to do something entirely different from what it appears to be. A prime example of a computer Trojan are the many variations of what's known as "fake antivirus" products. The fake antivirus Trojan infections commonly occur when the computer user is surfing the internet and sees an advertisement window pop up with an advertisement that doesn't state that it is an ad like it should, but instead has an image of what looks like an antivirus program telling the user that it has detected a virus infection on their machine and telling the computer user to click on it to remove the virus. Anyone who is not adept at spotting these type of ploys or scams may be tempted to follow the instructions that they are being given through the Trojan advertisement and when they are done they will have actually just installed the Trojan software onto their machine themselves and end up erroneously believing that their antivirus software has failed them.

Adware on the other hand is not as malicious as computer viruses or Trojans but can still have a harmful effect on the functionality of the computer. Many programs such as weather channel software, coupon printers and other seemingly useful applications are offered by the publisher in both free and paid versions. Weather reporting programs for example still have to be paid for somehow, so the publisher offers them in a free version to anyone that wants them however the free version also installs extra items onto the computer to display advertisements which they then receive a commission for displaying. These advertisements will usually slow down the computer, interrupt what you are doing to display ads and can cause conflicts with other programs if they have been poorly designed and tested as is often the case.

Knowing the difference between viruses, Trojans and adware is only the first step in keeping your computer free from them and running well. The second step which is often overlooked is to install the right security software in addition to your antivirus program to detect and remove the Trojans and adware should it find its way onto your computer. While there are many options available it is often advisable to consult your IT support staff or computer service center for recommendations as to which products to use and help you avoid installing an innocently appearing security product that is really a Trojan horse in disguise as something else.

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