WEEKLY REPORTS Solutions, Prevention & Remedies Top 10 Threats

Microsoft plans to package its current anti-Spyware tool with its next operating system, Windows Vista.

The newly renamed Windows Defender will combine the company's current malicious software removal tool with daily anti-Spyware updates, delivered automatically to Windows computers as part of Microsoft's automatic update. The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool has been part of Windows update for nearly a year. It is meant to remove problems; not protect users from real time attacks.

Windows Defender is aimed at computer users who find it difficult to update their threat protection on their own.

In order to avoid accusations of Microsoft monopolizing the anti-virus software industry with the upcoming Windows Vista release, users will be able to disable the Windows Defender program and apply the software of their choosing.

Microsoft released a test version of Windows Vista to developers in July. A full version could be available to the public as early as the second half of 2006.

Information, Protection and Prevention -- More Information About Windows Vista and Windows Defender
• Windows Vista

• Windows Defender Blog

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* Reading: Solutions, Prevention & Remedies
Additional summary information related to a specific type of solution or prevention that you should be considering. Depending upon the week, this section may have:
• Recent Windows security releases from Microsoft
• Recent updates to widely used anti-spyware programs
• Recent updates to widely used anti-virus programs
• Recent updates to other security programs & devices (ex: Firewalls, routers)
• Recent updates to various applications in wide use

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Read: Top Threats
These are viruses that are currently on the watch lists of major anti-virus software companies.

Name
What the threat is called. We use the name given each virus by Panda Software. Sometimes other anti-virus companies give the same threat a different name. Usually they use similar names.

Type
There are different characteristics associated with different types of threats.
• Virus - has the ability to replicate or infect computers or other programs
• Trojan Horse (or Trojan) - appear to be harmless programs when you get them. They unleash their payload when you double-click, open, or execute them.
• Phishing - a Web site or e-maill message posing as another company - usually one you know to fool you into giving the sender personal information.
• Worm - self replicates onto additional disks, computers or networks
• Spyware - installs on your system to collect information about your activity, preferences or interests
• Hoax - false messages sent by e-maill to mislead the recipient
• Backdoors - opens a security hole that allows outsiders to take control of your computer
• Dialer - uses your telephone to dial an outside number - sometimes a number that costs you money when dialed

Affects
Not all viruses affect all types of systems. Some, for example may affect only Windows 98 and 95, but not Windows XP or NT. Others affect all Windows systems, but not Macintosh. In this column, we show you the consumer systems that the threat is known to affect. We don't always include the servers that operate in your company's backroom.

Alert level
The level of awareness that anti-virus vendors suggest you need to have for each threat listed.
For each threat listed, we'll post a corresponding link here, so you can get more information to help you recognize, diagnose, prevent, and repair the problem.