Why Updates Are Important

*The following explanation can be applied to your anti-spyware programs too and also 'vulnerabilities' in your Operating System (i.e. Microsoft Windows)*

There are two parts to your anti-virus program.

The antivirus program itself.
The virus definitions.

Each computer virus has it's own "signature" or "thumbprint". When your anti-virus program's manufacturer discovers a new virus, they create a virus definition that tells your antivirus program what to watch for. When you got your antivirus program, it came with a list of virus definitions for all the viruses that were known... at that time. But there are estimates that 10 to 15 new viruses are discovered each day. If this correct, between 3,650 and 5,475 brand new viruses were discovered in just the past year alone. If your antivirus program doesn't have the latest virus definitions, your computer isn't protected against any of these new viruses!

dif�fuse (di-fyooz') verb

To pour out and cause to spread freely.
To spread about or scatter; disseminate.
To become widely dispersed; spread out.
To undergo diffusion.

diffusion (di-fyoo-zhuhn) noun

The process in which there is movement of a substance from an area of high concentration of that substance to an area of lower concentration
The spreading of one substance through those of another

Virus Diffusion Theories

Old theory: There is a critical threshold for virus distribution.

Viruses less contagious than this threshold will die out.
Viruses more contagious than the threshold will multiply exponentially and eventually reach the entire system.

New theory: The threshold for a scale-free network like the Internet is ZERO!

All viruses, even those that are only weakly contagious, will spread and persist in the system
Viruses don't ever disappear from the Internet.

You have to protect your computer from every virus ever written...Forever!

Don't panic though, you can keep your computer virus free with a good antivirus program and the latest virus definitions and with "safe surfing".

Safe Surfing

Never ever open an email attachment or click on a link that someone sends you if you don't know and trust them. And if someone sends you something you think is kinda unusual for them to be sending you and a little voice goes off in your head, "...now what is this all about?", be sure to double check who sent it to you. There are "cloners" or "counterfeit ids" out there that people will use to fool you into believing a lie. i.e. mynameistom2007123 looks a lot like mynamestom2007123 or ice_angel194 looks a lot like ice_angell94

Also watch out for "phishing" emails and sites. They got that term from "fishing" as in throw out the bait and hope some sucker takes it. Any email from Africa telling you they have cute puppies for sale or there has been a tragic death in the family but the deceased had 20 million dollars in the bank and they need help in getting it out of the country is "bull hockey". Never give out your banking or credit info to someone you don't know. Remember, "...if it sounds too good to be true, it prolly is." :-)

Another phishing email scam is the one where "PayPal" or your credit card company informs you there has been some unusual activity on your account lately and if you did not purchase a 52 in. plasma flat tv last Thursday then please go to this site http://www.imgoingtostealurmoney.com and enter your username and password to check on your account. If you are truly concerned about someone using your credit accounts then go to Google or Yahoo or a search engine you trust and go to the site through them. Never use the links that suspicious emails conveniently have for you to "log into your account". These URL's look very similiar but one is to a crook's site.

https://login.yahoo.com/config/login_verify2?.redir=ymmapi11&.clntymver=205.1.4

https://login.yahoo.iamacrook.com/config/login_verify2?.redir=similiarlookingsite.clntymver=205.1.4

And if you are like me and have a penchant for joke sites, smilie sites, cheap ecard sites, and midget porn or someone that uses your computer goes to these "suspect" sites then most likely you have a buncha bunch of viruses in your computer. As much as you may like midget porn, it is just not worth the damage those sites do to your computer.

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