What are Viruses, Worms and Trojan horses ?

A virus is a program created specifically to invade computers and networks and wreak havoc on them. The mischief caused can be very minor, such as causing a funny image or cryptic message to be displayed on your screen, or it can do some serious damage by altering or even destroying files. A worm is slighty different in that it is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself. A Trojan Horse is a malicious program that pretends to be a legitimate application; it purposefully does something the user does not expect. Trojans are not viruses since they do not replicate, but Trojan horse programs can be just as destructive.

What is Spyware / Adware ?

Spyware & Adware are files that are installed on your computer without your knowledge. They allow companies to monitor your Internet browsing patterns and even allow companies to inundate you with those annoying "pop up" ads!
They can also significantly slow down your computer and internet browsing experience.