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Dealing with viruses

What is a computer Virus?

Computer viruses are software programs that are designed to interfere with computer operation. They record, or corrupt, or delete data, and spread themselves to other computers via the internet or by transmitting itself across networks. Viruses often slow things down and cause other problems in the process.

How is it Spread

A computer virus spreads by attaching itself to a program or file so it can spread from one computer to another so once a user copies or downloads an infected file that user’s PC is then infected if the user opens or runs the infected file or program. Much like human viruses, computer viruses can range in severity: Some viruses cause only mildly annoying effects while others can damage your hardware, software or files. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. It is important to note that a virus cannot be spread without a human action, (such as running an infected program).

Types of computer viruses

The most common mistake people make when the topic of a computer virus arises is to refer to a worm or Trojan horse as a virus. While the words Trojan, worm and virus are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Viruses, worms and Trojan Horses are all malicious programs that can cause damage to your computer, but there are differences among the three, and knowing those differences can help you to better protect your computer from their often damaging effects

A worm is similar to a virus by its design, and is considered to be a subclass of a virus. Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, it has the capability to travel without any help from a person. A worm takes advantage of file or information transport features on your system, which allows it to travel independently. The biggest danger with a worm is its capability to replicate itself on your system, so rather than your computer sending out a single worm, it could send out hundreds or thousands of copies of itself, creating a huge devastating effect.

A Trojan horse is much like the mythological Trojan horse that appeared to be a gift, but turned out to contain Greek soldiers who overtook the city of Troy, today's Trojan horses are computer programs that appear to be useful software, but instead turn out to be something quite different they compromise the security of your PC and causes a lot of damage. Trojan horses spread when people are lured into opening a program because they think it comes from a legitimate source.

How can I tell if I have a worm or other virus?

When you open and run an infected program, you might not know you've contracted a virus. Your computer might slow down or crash and restart every few minutes. Sometimes a virus attacks the files you need to start up a computer. In this case, you might press the power button and find yourself staring at a blank screen.

All of these symptoms are common signs that your computer has a virus although they could also be caused by hardware or software problems that have nothing to do with a virus.

Avoiding computer viruses

Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computer's security if you keep your operating system up to date with the latest security updates and patches and maintain a current antivirus software subscription.

Tip: Never open anything that is attached to an e-mail unless you expect the attachment and you know the exact contents of that file.

If you receive an e-mail with an attachment from someone you don't know, delete it immediately. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not even safe to open attachments from people you do know. Viruses and worms have the ability to steal information out of e-mail programs and send themselves to everyone listed in the address book. So, if you get an e-mail from someone with a message you don't understand or a file you didn’t expect, always contact the person and confirm the contents of the attachment before you open it.

Backup of Data

It is very important to regularly back up the files stored on the hard drive of your computer. If your hard drive should crash or a situation develops that prevents you from accessing the drive, the data and your work is lost if you don't have a back up copy.

In general, the safest choice is to back up your data to an external medium. Some popular options are CDs, USB Flash drives and external hard drives. The option you use will depend upon a number of factors, including the amount of data you want to back up.