Learn to protect your privacy and computer against viruses, hackers and threats.
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1. What is a computer virus?
A computer virus is a program designed to spread itself through your computer by infecting files or the system areas of your harddrive and media drives and then making copies of itself to spead on. Viruses usually operate without the knowledge or desire of the computer user. Many viruses are known as rootkits which disguise themselves as normal files so they cannot be detected unless you have software that will detect rootkits.
2. What kind of files can spread viruses?
Viruses have the potential to infect any type of executable code, not just the files that are commonly called 'program files'. For example, some viruses infect executable code in the system areas of hard drives. Another type of virus, known as a 'macro' virus, can infect word processing and spreadsheet documents that use macros. And it's possible for HTML documents containing JavaScript or other types of executable code to spread viruses or other malicious code. Since virus code must be executed to have any effect, files that the computer treats as pure data are safe. This includes graphics and sound files such as .gif, .jpg, .mp3, .wav, etc., as well as plain text in .txt files. For example, just viewing picture files won't infect your computer with a virus. The virus code has to be in a form, such as an .exe program file or a Word .doc file, that the computer will actually try to execute.
3. How do viruses spread?
When you execute program code that's infected by a virus, the virus code will also run and try to infect other programs, either on the same computer or on other computers connected to it over a network . And the newly infected programs will try to infect yet more programs. When you share a copy of an infected file with other computer users, running the file may also infect their computers; and files from those computers may spread the infection to yet more computers. If your computer is infected with a boot sector virus, the virus tries to write copies of itself to the system areas of floppy disks and hard disks. Then the infected disks may infect other computers that boot from them, and the virus copy on the hard disk will try to infect still more floppies. Some viruses, known as 'multipartite' viruses, can spread both by infecting files and by infecting the boot areas of floppy disks.
4. What do viruses do to computers?
Viruses are software programs, and they can do the same things as any other programs running on a computer. The actual effect of any particular virus depends on how it was programmed by the person who wrote the virus. Some viruses are deliberately designed to damage files or otherwise interfere with your computer's operation, while others don't do anything but try to spread themselves around. But even the ones that just spread themselves are harmful, since they damage files and may cause other problems in the process of spreading. Note that viruses can't do any damage to hardware: they won't melt down your CPU, burn out your hard drive, cause your monitor to explode, etc. Warnings about viruses that will physically destroy your computer are usually hoaxes, not legitimate virus warnings.
5. What's the story on viruses and E-mail?
You can't get a virus just by reading a plain-text E-mail message or Usenet post. What you have to watch out for are encoded messages containing embedded executable code (i.e., JavaScript in an HTML message) or messages that include an executable file attachment (i.e., an encoded program file or a Word document containing macros). In order to activate a virus or Trojan horse program, your computer has to execute some type of code. This could be a program attached to an E-mail, a Word document you downloaded from the Internet, or something received on a disk. There's no special hazard in files attached to Usenet posts or E-mail messages: they're no more dangerous than any other file.
7. What can I do to reduce the chance of getting viruses?
Install anti-virus software from a well-known, reputable company, make sure it offers daily or better, hourly updates and use it regularly.
New viruses come out every single day. An anti-virus program that hasn't been updated for several days or months will not provide much protection against current viruses.
In addition to scanning for viruses on a regular basis, install an 'on access' scanner (included in most good anti-virus software packages) and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your system. This will protect your system by checking for viruses each time your computer accesses an executable file.
Virus scan any new programs or other files that may contain executable code before you run or open them, no matter where they come from.
Although these steps will help protect your computer from viruses, you should also have protection from hackers and Internet related threats. Hackers can access your computer through the Internet and steal confidential information such as account numbers and log-in information. To protect yourself from these events, you should have a firewall installed with your anti-virus.
We recommend one of the following software suites for total protection from viruses and all Internet related threats.
PC Security Shield Suite
Trend Micro Internet Security Suite
Kaspersky Internet Security Suite
A computer virus is a program designed to spread itself through your computer by infecting files or the system areas of your harddrive and media drives and then making copies of itself to spead on. Viruses usually operate without the knowledge or desire of the computer user. Many viruses are known as rootkits which disguise themselves as normal files so they cannot be detected unless you have software that will detect rootkits.
2. What kind of files can spread viruses?
Viruses have the potential to infect any type of executable code, not just the files that are commonly called 'program files'. For example, some viruses infect executable code in the system areas of hard drives. Another type of virus, known as a 'macro' virus, can infect word processing and spreadsheet documents that use macros. And it's possible for HTML documents containing JavaScript or other types of executable code to spread viruses or other malicious code. Since virus code must be executed to have any effect, files that the computer treats as pure data are safe. This includes graphics and sound files such as .gif, .jpg, .mp3, .wav, etc., as well as plain text in .txt files. For example, just viewing picture files won't infect your computer with a virus. The virus code has to be in a form, such as an .exe program file or a Word .doc file, that the computer will actually try to execute.
3. How do viruses spread?
When you execute program code that's infected by a virus, the virus code will also run and try to infect other programs, either on the same computer or on other computers connected to it over a network . And the newly infected programs will try to infect yet more programs. When you share a copy of an infected file with other computer users, running the file may also infect their computers; and files from those computers may spread the infection to yet more computers. If your computer is infected with a boot sector virus, the virus tries to write copies of itself to the system areas of floppy disks and hard disks. Then the infected disks may infect other computers that boot from them, and the virus copy on the hard disk will try to infect still more floppies. Some viruses, known as 'multipartite' viruses, can spread both by infecting files and by infecting the boot areas of floppy disks.
4. What do viruses do to computers?
Viruses are software programs, and they can do the same things as any other programs running on a computer. The actual effect of any particular virus depends on how it was programmed by the person who wrote the virus. Some viruses are deliberately designed to damage files or otherwise interfere with your computer's operation, while others don't do anything but try to spread themselves around. But even the ones that just spread themselves are harmful, since they damage files and may cause other problems in the process of spreading. Note that viruses can't do any damage to hardware: they won't melt down your CPU, burn out your hard drive, cause your monitor to explode, etc. Warnings about viruses that will physically destroy your computer are usually hoaxes, not legitimate virus warnings.
5. What's the story on viruses and E-mail?
You can't get a virus just by reading a plain-text E-mail message or Usenet post. What you have to watch out for are encoded messages containing embedded executable code (i.e., JavaScript in an HTML message) or messages that include an executable file attachment (i.e., an encoded program file or a Word document containing macros). In order to activate a virus or Trojan horse program, your computer has to execute some type of code. This could be a program attached to an E-mail, a Word document you downloaded from the Internet, or something received on a disk. There's no special hazard in files attached to Usenet posts or E-mail messages: they're no more dangerous than any other file.
7. What can I do to reduce the chance of getting viruses?
Install anti-virus software from a well-known, reputable company, make sure it offers daily or better, hourly updates and use it regularly.
New viruses come out every single day. An anti-virus program that hasn't been updated for several days or months will not provide much protection against current viruses.
In addition to scanning for viruses on a regular basis, install an 'on access' scanner (included in most good anti-virus software packages) and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your system. This will protect your system by checking for viruses each time your computer accesses an executable file.
Virus scan any new programs or other files that may contain executable code before you run or open them, no matter where they come from.
Although these steps will help protect your computer from viruses, you should also have protection from hackers and Internet related threats. Hackers can access your computer through the Internet and steal confidential information such as account numbers and log-in information. To protect yourself from these events, you should have a firewall installed with your anti-virus.
We recommend one of the following software suites for total protection from viruses and all Internet related threats.
PC Security Shield Suite
Trend Micro Internet Security Suite
Kaspersky Internet Security Suite
Our #1 Recommended Product For Total Virus and Internet Protection!