Introduction
Innovation of computers has made the work of man easier and has also changed the way man does his things currently. However, despite the fact that computers are said to be effective and efficient in data storage, computer viruses can turn that idea into a nightmare all of a sudden. A computer virus is described as set of instructions in a computer that may attach and reproduce it’s self in other codes which are executable. A computer virus is normally said to be manmade and can stand on its own without the support of other programs. A computer virus is generally developed with an aim of infecting some portion of the host computer thus copying itself whenever there is a chance.
Types of Computer Viruses
There are varieties of computer viruses that are commonly known to be of great danger to computers and their contents. Below we discuss the types of viruses;
Boot Sector Viruses: This virus is known to infect a critical area of the boot process and is clearly known for aiming at the hard drive boot sector. This sector of the boot is known for holding very essential information that generally controls a component of the operating program and the hard drive. The major aim of these viruses is to go all the way to the system of the memory and most especially when the boot cycle is opening. However, the boot virus do not affect the files unlike other types of viruses but infects the drive itself where the virus is saved and therefore it is not termed as a big threat compared to other viruses.
File Virus: These viruses are normally coded. The reason why they are coded is to enable them attach themselves to the driver files, exe files and zip files or other compressed files. The files undertake two spike approaches in order to complete its mission. First it will duplicate then continue to carry out its intended objective depending with the category of computer virus duplicated. The virus then goes ahead to search in the programs which are in the systems so as to find areas to infect. It will infect with the code and when the program is next run the virus will activate. The virus continues duplicating until it infects the entire computer and most probably those computers which might be attached.
Multipartite Virus: These viruses are both boot sector viruses and file viruses. The virus embeds itself in the memory of the computer and it is known to enter the computer through the different types of media. This virus infects the boot sector after going to the hard drive and go ahead to spread throughout the systems and infect all the files which are executable. These computer viruses are known to be responsible for many infections since they are a combination of two viruses which then combine their characteristics and become more powerful compared to others.
Network Viruses: This is a very uniquely created virus since it spreads inside the local area network very quickly and normally through the internet. Network virus is known to move and spread through shared items or resources such as folders and drivers. The virus looks in the network for vulnerable computers when it enters the system and then continues to infect the system again and again as it searches for more new systems which might be indicating vulnerability.
Email Viruses: This type of virus is known to multiply through looking for other email address contacts sending itself to the contacts with the hope that the addresses will also activate the virus. Email virus is also known to be a macro virus. The virus spreads exponentially over and over again thus infecting most of the contacts by sending strange messages to the contacts. This is a known virus in most of the internet users and can harm the messages embedded in the email book. Sometimes this virus can easily spread by previewing in the client mails. One of the successful episodes that were carried out by this virus was I LOVE YOU virus which was destructive and detected by a large number of individuals worldwide.
Macro Virus: These viruses infect the program files which are known to use the macros in the program. The common programs here include files create in spreadsheets of Excel in the Microsoft Office Files, Assess database, Word documents and presentations of PowerPoint and others.
All these viruses are dangerous and are said to be programmed in a language understandable to the application and thus not the operating system language. Therefore, these viruses operate in an independent way towards the operating system and therefore it normally infects all kinds of systems including the PC, Mac and the Linux as long as the computer is running an understandable application to macro virus. Since the language of macro has turned out to be more powerful as the days go these computer viruses threats has also improved into vital kinds of computer viruses. The first virus was discovered in 1995 and it infected Microsoft Word but since they have increased in number they have continued to infect other programs. People should always be alert for these viruses and in order to avoid them, they should take every available precaution.
Effects of Computer Viruses
Computer viruses are said to have different consequences and most of them are very viral when they infect the system. Some viruses infect the computer programs and impair them and other applications in the computer. Due to this, the individual lacks to operate the computer smoothly and also cannot access the software. The programs which are affected may produce data or output which is not accurate and lead the programs such as printers not to work properly. At some extent if the system files are severely infected then the computer may end up crushing. Some viruses attack the data in the hard disk which also results into a crash.
Other viruses are known to slow down the computer since they have consumed its memory. Some of these viruses are hard to remove from the computer and even after they are removed they reinstall themselves. It is therefore the reason why antivirus is advised. A good example is in 2004 where mydoom virus was recognized to have infected more than quarter a million computers in one day. The internet is said to facilitate the most of computer viruses and worms. There are more than thousands of viruses and worms spreading via the internet every day and they are discovered new ones all the time. Most of these viruses are shared through exchange of files such as photos and songs, normal activities in the internet and other means which leave computers infected with unwanted and vital programs. Sometimes computer viruses end up making people lose very significant data and also organizations.
Computer Virus Symptoms
There are various available symptoms which help an individual to recognize the virus in a computer. The major symptoms include the speed of the computer slowing down. Viruses influence the slowdown of speed since for their execution they consume the memory of the system. Another symptom is the effect on the computers operation. When the computer is hanging frequently or showing error while displaying various messages then it might be as a result of computer virus. Other times the computer may fail to load effectively and properly or suddenly restart. This might even make an individual lack to see the disk drives.
This is a very common symptom when the computer is attacked by viruses and precaution must be taken immediately to avoid crashing of the system. In other circumstances, viruses are known to delete files in a system or to modify them. This normally happens when the systems applications are not properly working which indicates virus symptoms. A good example can be demonstrated when the printer’s function is interrupted due to disturbed setting of the software. Lastly and not the least, the images on the computer display may appear altered or deformed as this is another symptom of computer viruses.
How does Computer Viruses Spread
Most of the intentions of computer viruses are to spread themselves. Just as it happens with a virus in the human population so is the virus in the computer system since the fashion is said to be the same. The virus spreads when the defenses of the computer are down since they give more exposure. The computers viruses are hard to get rid of and spread very easily just like the biological partner virus. Viruses can move around the world very easily especially those that are targeting new vulnerability since they are coupled with quick communications. It is simple for a virus to spread through a network of computers since they may be having the same vulnerability.
Prevention of Computer Viruses
In order to prevent computer viruses, it is important to run software which is of good security and quality so as to protect the private data from viruses and other threats of security. It is evident that there is no quality substitute especially when it comes to security. It is also advisable to get an IT expert to run the security programs for you if it is difficult. It is good to get antivirus software such as Norton Antivirus, AVG and others. Ensure that the virus definitions are regularly updated. It is also advisable to install a Firewall of good quality e.g. the Free Zone Alarm.
In conclusion, computer virus is manmade and can spread as easily as the virus in the human body. The virus is known to infect the computer system and impact various consequences. Computer viruses are found throughout the world and are said to spread easily in computers which are connected since they share the same vulnerability which makes it so easy for the virus to infect. The viruses are of different types and can affect the systems through slowing it down, crashing the computer and others. In most cases viruses are said to spread through sharing of disks, hard drives and others especially during the exchange of photos and phones. However, though some viruses are said to be very hard to uninstall, it is good to prevent and secure your computer by using quality antivirus and firewall thus securing your private data.
Works Cited
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