Glossary

Content: Anti-virus; Firewall; Hoax; Macro; Macro Virus; Spam; Trojan Horse; Virus; Worm

Anti-Virus [top] - Software used to detect, block and remove computer viruses (worms, macro-viruses) and trojans. Anti-virus software uses files with "virus signatures" (DAT files). The anti-virus software checks for these signatures in email, data and programs. In order to maintain computer security as new viruses and trojans appear, DAT files must be regularly updated. Many anti-virus software packages and their DAT files can be updated via the Internet.

Firewall [top] - A firewall implements an "access control policy" to and from networks that are linked to your network via the Internet. Some firewalls only permit email traffic to and from the network, thereby protecting against any attacks other than attacks against the email service. Other firewalls are less strict allowing such services as web servers and file transfers. Most firewalls block unauthenticated interactive logins from the ``outside'' world helping to prevent vandals from logging into machines on your network. More elaborate firewalls block traffic from the outside to the inside, but permit users on the inside to communicate freely with the outside.

Hoax [top] - A bogus warning usually intended to frighten or mislead users. Typically, the warning arrives in an e-mail suggesting that the recipient forward the message on to other users. The best course of action is to merely delete these hoax emails.

Macro [top] - A macro is a piece of code that can be embedded in a data file. Some word processors (e.g., Microsoft Word) and spreadsheet programs (e.g., Microsoft Excel) allow you to attach macros to the documents. In this way, documents control and customize the behavior of the programs that created them, or even extend the capabilities of the program. For example, a macro attached to a Microsoft Word document might be executed every time you save the document and cause its text to be run through an external spell checking program.

Macro Virus [top] - A macro virus is like other viruses except that it is always attached to data files (i.e., documents) rather than executable programs. Any application which supports document-bound macros that automatically execute is a potential haven for macro viruses.

Spam [top] - Mass emailed "junk" is known as spam.

Trojan Horse [top] - Named after the wooden horse used by the Greeks to infiltrate Troy. ATrojan Horse is a program that does something undocumented (hidden) that the user would not approve of (such as stealing passwords). Many people use the term "Trojan" only for a non-replicating malicious program (as opposed to macro-viruses and worms).

Virus [top] - Viruses are computer programs that are usually hidden within another seemingly innocuous program. A virus produces copies of itself and inserts these copies into other programs or files. Viruses usually perform a malicious action (such as destroying data). Viruses typically defined to include Worms and Macro Viruses.

Worm [top] - Worms are very similar to viruses. They are computer programs that replicate functional copies of themselves. These copies are usually delivered to other computer systems via network connections. Worms often, but not always, interfere with the normal performance of a computer or program. Unlike viruses, worms exist as separate entities rather than being attached to other files or programs.