What a computer virus really is & tips to help avoid getting computer viruses.
These days most people have computers and are very much aware of computer viruses, however, unfortunately are not very much aware of how to avoid them.
* NOTE TO ALL PC & LAPTOP COMPUTER USERS *
Often the term "computer virus" is used as a general term for all Malware including: computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and all other malicious & unwanted software. Computer worms and Trojan horses are actually different than computer viruses but are often equally annoying and frustrating.
What is a computer virus?
- A computer virus is a program that can copy itself and infect a computer without being detected. The same is true for other types of bad files including adware.
- Generally, a computer virus will spread through the computer and sabotage the operating network including relevant files and folders. This can be very frustrating and even more dangerous if you have important information on your computer or a delicate network setup.
- The virus (or bad files) actually spread from computer to computer over a network (such as the internet). We have had instances where a client actually transferred a virus to multiple computers with an infected floppy disk. This can also happen with CD, DVD, USB devices etc... Be careful!
What is a computer worm?
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A computer worm is a very annoying self-replicating program which uses a network to send copies of itself to other computers on the network.
- Worms can "operate" with no user intervention. Unlike a virus, computer worms do not need to attach to any existing programs, which almost always results in some form of harm being caused the network and computer(s) in it.
- Computer worms often consume large amounts of bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or devour files on a targeted computer. Different, but often still just as frustrating.
A computer worm can actually exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host.
What is a Trojan horse?
- A Trojan horse or "Trojan" is malware that appears to be harmless but has a hidden agenda.
- Trojans can access your computer without your knowledge or authorization.
- Trojans DO NOT self-replicate and DO require interaction with hackers to successfully meet their agenda.
An interesting point to make note of is that with Trojans, hackers can use something called a port scanner to check for existing Trojan horses on any given network and computers on the network.
Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may cause harm to a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughout, when they are executed. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious. If you have any of these types of bad files on your computer don't wait, it will only get worse. Let us evaluate your unit for free and take care of the problem properly so that it is fixed and you don't have to worry about losing your data. Avoid serious damage to your computer with our super fast & affordable virus removal service!
