Backdoor viruses have been around for years but they're not going anywhere in today's compromised world of online security

A Backdoor virus is a form of Malware (malicious software) virus that is designed to allow someone to spy on your system from a remote server. A backdoor is both difficult to locate and difficult to remove.

Also known as a Trojan, it typically works by providing a hacker with a remote access point to your computer, usually by piggybacking on downloaded software and then installing itself into your Windows system. From there it acts as a portal or backdoor into your system so that any and all of your privileged information becomes fair game and your security becomes severely compromised.

It is difficult to detect a backdoor virus as it hides, disguised as a legitimate program within your operating system and is difficult to remove as it often necessitates the complete uninstall of windows in order to rid yourself of the backdoor.

One of the most common backdoor programs is the Win 32 Backdoor for which many anti virus programs now contain a tool specially designed to seek and destroy this virus. The Norton Antivirus suite for example, is a computer security program that can locate and remove a backdoor.

The biggest concern is that unlike a virus that is created to mindlessly corrupt files, a backdoor is created so that intruders can be selective about the information that they acquire and then use it for their own gains.

When you see .exe at the end of a file name it indicates that it is software that is an executable program for windows machines. These are the files to which backdoors are usually attached as the act of executing the file allows the backdoor to be installed into the operating system.

Norton's three antivirus products protect you from malicious backdoor attacks. Save $40 on them for a short time only

Norton Antivirus 2009	Norton Internet Security 2009	Norton 360