Microsoft® Windows 7 In Depth

30. Protecting Windows from Viruses and Spyware

Malicious Software: Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Hackers and computer viruses have long been popularized in movies and the media. Although the term hacker has been affectionately used to describe particularly dedicated and skilled computer geeks, it is also used in negative context to describe those who abuse that knowledge for criminal activity. As high-speed Internet connections and personal computers proliferate, these so-called “black hat” hackers continue to amass an impressive arsenal of tools. These tools may be placed into a few major categories according to their primary characteristics. All of the descriptive terms, some of which you’ve no doubt heard in reference to computers, such as virus ...