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Not everyone takes their online security seriously. Just last week, Nasa, the US agency that oversees the country's space programme, admitted to finding a password-stealing worm on the International Space Station. The worm got there thanks to an infected laptop brought onboard via the Space Shuttle.
While Nasa is likely to include some anti-virus software in its 2009 budget, many Earth-bound users either can't or won't buy some. For those users, we have Malware City. This site can give new users a good understanding of what malware is all about, and experienced computers users can see what threats are currently out there.
The site has an online virus scanner provided by BitTorrent, a well-known anti-malware company. The website not only scans for virus signatures but looks for malicious behaviour. It will then remove any viruses or spyware that it finds.
The scan is free, but users should be aware than online scanning doesn't offer real-time monitoring of your system. In other words, the software will tell you if you have a virus, but it won't stop your system from getting one.
Even if you already have anti-malware software installed, you can use the online scan as a back up. The site claims the scan is compatible with other software.
Besides scanning, the site also offers users a view of what threats are out there, and it caters to users of all levels. There is an online dictionary for new users who don't know a bot from a byte, and more advanced users can read up on bot-nets, SSL certificates, or recently-discovered vulnerabilities in web browsers. There is also an RSS feed available for any more who wants to be notified of the latest threat and a map that shows users what malware is threatening any given country.
Malware City may not be as exciting as some websites, but for anyone who has something to protect, be it a space station or a bank account, the site is a must.
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