Apakah Virus Itu?

Virus komputer mendapatkan namanya juga Karena terinspirasi oleh virus biologis yang menyerang mahluk hidup, istilah “virus” dipakai karena sifatnya yang menyerupai virus biologis, yakni mampu memperbanyak diri dan menyebar dari satu komputer ke komputer yang lain, sama bukan dengan virus biologis yang menyerang manusia dan mahluk hidup lainnya, yang bisa menular dari manusia satu ke manusia yang lain, atau mahluk hidup yang satu ke mahluk hidup yang lain.

Kemiripan yang lain juga terlihat pada cara virus komputer menyebarkan diri. Pada virus biologis, penggandaan diri dilakukan oleh sel terinfeksi. Ini karena virus biologis pada dasarnya tidak memiliki kemampuan untuk mereplikasi dirinya. Karena itu virus biologis menggunakan sel yang telah terinfeksi untuk menggandakan dirinya. Dengan cara yang sama, virus komputer mendapatkan dukungan dari program atau dokumen komputer agar bisa menyebarkan dirinya. Saat program atau dokumen ini dijalankan, virus tersebut akan menyebar secara otomatis ke program atau dokumen lain atau bahkan ke komputer yang lain.

Cara Kerja Virus

Virus sebenarnya merupakan program komputer, sama seperti program lainnya, virus berisi instruksi yang memerintahkan komputer untuk melakukan sesuatu seperti yang diinginkan pemrogram. Namun yang perlu diperhatikan disini adalah virus biasanya akan memerintahkan komputer untuk melakukan sesuatu yang tidak akan anda lakukan. Selain itu virus juga mampu menyebar atau memperbanyak dirinya ke aneka file lain dalam komputer atau bahkan ke lokasi lain.

Bagaimana virus menyebar? Seperti telah dijelaskan diatas virus akan menyebar menggunakan program atau file dokumen tertentu. Selain untuk menyembunyikan keberadaannya, hal tersebut juga merupakan trik untuk menipu pengguna PC agar menggunakan atau menjalankan file tersebut. Pada saat file yang sudah terinfeksi virus tersebut dijalankan, maka kode virus yang ada di dalamnya juga akan diaktifkan.

Jika virus tersebut diperintahkan pembuatnya untuk mengubah semua file berekstensi .doc menjadi file yang berekstensi .jpg, perintah tersebut akan dijalankan. Sehingga semua file dikomputer tersebut yang berekstensi .doc akan dirubah menjadi file yang berekstensi .jpg. Jika virus itu diperintahkan untuk memformat hardisk, maka perintah tersebut juga akan dijalankan, bayangkan kerugian yang didapatkan dari virus tersebut.

Jenis Virus

Virus memiliki berbagai jenis dengan metode infeksi yang berbeda-beda, antara lain

• · Virus boot sector, virus ini menginfeksi boot sector harddisk (boot sector merupakan sebuah daerah dalam hardisk yang pertama kali diakses saat komputer dihidupkan). Jika virus boot sector ini aktif, pengguna tidak akan bisa memboot komputernya secara normal.
• · Virus file, virus jenis ini akan menginfeksi aplikasi, atau file dalam komputer. Saat aplikasi tersebut dijalankan, virus akan disebarkan dengan cara menginfeksi semua file atau dokumen yang diakses oleh aplikasi tersebut.
• · Virus e-mail, virus ini menyebar via e-mail (biasanya dalam bentuk lampiran/attachment). Biasanya memiliki ciri khusus berupa ekstensi .scr, .exe, .pif, atau .bat. jika aktif, virus ini biasanya akan mengirimkan dirinya sendiri ke berbagai alamat e-mail yang ada dalam buku alamat pengguna. Worm dan Trojan Horse juga sering disebarkan via e-mail semacam ini.
• · Virus Makro, virus ini menginfeksi dokumen yang dijalankan lewat aplikasi Microsoft Office (misal word dan excel). Sebuah dokumen yang terinfeksi virus semacam ini biasanya akan melakukan modifikasi perintah-perintah umum. Misal perintah save untuk mengaktifkan virus.
• · Virus multipartite, virus jenis ini akan menginfeksi file-file komputer sekaligus boot sector pada harddisk. Virus ini banyak menimbulkan masalah karena menyebabkan kerusakan ganda.
• · Virus polimorfis, virus ini akan “berganti wujud” saat menyebarkan diri ke komputer lain. Virus jenis ini akan lebih sulit dideteksi karena sifat tersebut.
• · Virus siluman (stealth virus), virus jenis ini menyembunyikan keberadaannya dengan cara membuat sebuah file yang terinfeksi seolah-olah file tersebut tidak terinfeksi. Virus jenis ini juga sangat sulit dideteksi

The first thing you want to do is to make sure your wireless router is in the best location possible. If you have a laptop that you move around all the time or if you have several computers, the router should be in the centre of your home and office. Don’t hide it into cupboards, or under chairs and tables.

But if you only have one stationary computer, use a cable connection to the router or move  the router as close to the computer as possible.

You can check the signal strength from the Wireless connection menu, accessible from Start -> Connect To -> Wireless Connection. You can also access it by clicking the wireless icon at the bottom right corner of the screen if you are connected.

2. Upgrade the wireless router firmware

Sometimes the problem is with the router firmware. Make sure you update your router firmware as often as possible to avoid incompatibility with newer systems. You can update your router firmware from the wireless router control panel. Type your router’s IP address into the browser to access the CP.

The default IP of routers is normally 192.168.1.1 for Linksys, 192.168.0.1 for D-Link and Netgear, some US Robotics routers use 192.168.123.254 and some SMC routers have 192.168.2.1. The router’s default IP address is always in the documentation of the router.

3. Change the wireless broadcast channel

If there are several wireless networks in your area, they can begin to distract each other. Most routers use the wireless channel 6 by default and the channel can slow down if full of signals coming from many routers. You can change the wireless channel from the Wireless Control Panel.

If changing the channel didn’t speed up your wireless connection, change it back to 6. It’s better not to play with them too much because this can distract your firewall.

4. Update your computer’s wireless network drivers

You can search for driver updates from the Windows Update site or your manufacturers website.

If none of the above tips helped, contact your wireless router manufacturer or just go back to a wired internet connection.

5. You can also use a thing called windsurfer to direct the signal for better strength (up to 9 decibels) and a new wireless N router will only up the signal strength by 7 decibels. just google image search windsurfer and print some 5*7 cutouts.

For all Windows operating system users:

Sometimes, at the startup of the system, we get a STOP error, and we wonder

why! And, if we get that frequently, we do get frustrated. So, for the

knowledge of all those who like to know why, a STOP error occurs when Windows encounters some errors. Stop errors stop the booting process of the operating system and do not let you perform any other operation. As a result, the hard drive data becomes inaccessible. To overcome such situations, we need to re-install the operating system, and restore lost data with the help of an updated backup. However, in case of unavailability of a backup, you have to use a good-quality hard disk recovery software to recover and restore your data.

Take an example – Suppose, in a Windows Vista-based system, you perform any of the following actions:

* Shut down of the computer system.
* Suspending or resuming the computer from Standby mode.
* Suspending or resuming the system from hibernate mode.

And the following STOP error occurs:

“STOP: 0x0000009F (parameter1, parameter2, parameter3, parameter4)
DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE”

After this error pops up, the system stops its booting process. Consequently, you fail to access the hard drive data.

Cause:

This error message occurs when the drivers are unable to handle the power state transition request in a proper way.

Resolution:

Following measures may help to resolve the problem:

* Either remove the faulty drivers or update them.
* Ensure the presence of your computer and all devices on the HAL (Hardware Compatibility List)
* Update the driver, if any updates are available.

* Update the software that uses filter devices.
* Un-install or remove any non-critical device and software to isolate the faulty drivers.

* Re-install the operating system. This will solve the problem and give your system a fresh look. But, this also deletes previously stored data. In case you want to recover your data, you need to use an efficientdisk recoveryapplication. The disk data recovery application does this by incorporating complex scanning algorithms. Additionally, the interactive nature of the software helps you to use it with ease and to recover all your

data accurately.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is a high-quality software that

provides comprehensive recovery of your lost, missing, inaccessible or deleted data in all logical loss instances. This hard disk recovery software is fully competent in recovering data from FAT 12, FAT 16, FAT 32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 based file systems. It is designed for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

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WHAT KIND OF COMPLAINT: A privacy watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission saying that Google’s new Buzz social networking service violates federal consumer protection law.

Apple today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, playing games, reading e-books, and much more. Its high-resolution Multi-Touch display lets you interact with content — including 12 innovative new apps designed especially for iPad and almost all of the 140,000 apps available on the App Store. At just 0.5 inches thick and 1.5 pounds, iPad is thinner and lighter than any laptop or notebook. iPad will be available in March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499. Read more: apple.com/ipad

About the bridge

The brief called for an iconic structure as part of the Stockton-on-Tees regeneration of the North Shore site. The resulting footbridge now links the north and south shores and provides better access to business and jobs in the area.

Designed by Expedition Engineering, the slender bowstring bridge cuts a distinctive silhouette across the River Tees. A 230m-long concrete walkway is supported by a pair of asymmetric steel arches that appear to skip across the river like a pebble skimming water.

Speirs and Major Associates designed the lighting in such a way that the iconic twin arches reflect in the water at night to form the mathematical symbol for infinity (∞) – hence the name.

Progress seems to rely on enterprise architects who stand up, challenge the status quo and push the envelope a lot. Many great breakthroughs are innovations made by architects who are able to ignore the so-called facts and figures. Whilst most people are content with the status quo, professional IT architects are always seeking a better, faster, more efficient, more effective method or way of doing things.

Despite the rhetoric, most corporations and the people within them quietly fear change. They are scared that it will create more demanding and less pleasurable working conditions. Particularly if there have been mistakes in the past with IT spend that has blown out or not given the returns expected. As a competent IT architect you have to be aware that innovation and progress can become non-existent unless you challenge the status quo.

Although you must take facts into consideration, good IT architects don’t allow them to carry as much weight as most other people do. An enterprise architecture coach knows that progress relies on standing up and challenging the facts and then taking intelligent action to actually exceed them. They can help you develop the skills necessary to accomplish this.

It’s why a good IT architecture coach will spend so much time developing your skills in dealing with other people. Understanding that human beings are emotional creatures, you can achieve huge success with other people in knowing and understanding one saying – “Help people fulfil their desire to feel important.”

If you remember that people in all levels of an organization crave validation and acceptance and you develop the skill of conversing in language that makes others feel important, you will be able to influence and persuade others to see your unique point of view as an IT architect.

An IT architect is nothing if not an agent of change, and skill development in smoothing the way for the changes you need to make within the organization is one of many you will have to develop and practise. After all, most people resist change. Also at Board and CEO level there may be some massive egos standing in the way of necessary change, especially if previous IT spending has been a cost rather than a benefit.

Your IT architecture career coach will help you develop the skills you need, because in the end, being able to influence people at all levels in the organization you work for is what you are being paid to do.

What does architecture mean to you? Do you care about architecture? If not, should you care?

Depending on what you do, the term architecture signifies different things. And the fact that it is used as a verb (i.e. to architect) and a noun (i.e. this architecture) complicates things.

For instance, my civil engineering friends talk about buildingarchitecture. They might also talk similarly about building design. Now, consider my friends who work in automobile engineering. I hear them talk a about automobile design. But I don’t hear any talk about automobile architecture. Why? What makes these two engineering kind different? And finally, consider software engineering in which I can claim some expertise, at least more than I can in any other engineering domain. In software, we talk a lot about both architecture and design. We also talk about software construction. Most often there is no clear delineation between these. We seem to transcend between architecture and design and sometimes even construction.

So when you build a building, you architect it, design it and construct it. When you build a car, do you just design it and construct it. Does a car have architecture?

I have some views on this, but before taking on them here, I truly want to understand your take on this. What do you think? Do you architect? Do you design? Do you do both?