Virus Related Terms

ActiveX

ActiveX controls are the modern rendition of OLE, or .OCX files. A simplistic example of OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) allows a user to embed the calculator into a word processor. ActiveX controls rely on the Windows operating system, requiring developers to create version specific controls. Unlike Sun's Java, ActiveX is able to interact with the operating system. This has led to security vulnerabilities in some instances, with the KAK worm perhaps being the most notorious.

Behavior-blocking

Behavior blocking monitors file activities, preventing certain modifications to the operating system or related files. For example, behavior blockers may monitor the registry, and warn users accordingly if a file being executed is attempting to modify the system registry. Some files, of course, do this legimately, i.e. a SETUP program. Others, however, have malicious intent and try to modify the registry to launch on every startup or when a particular access is made. While some find behavior blocking intrusive, it can be a valuable addition to defending systems against the threat of viruses and other forms of malware.

How does it work?