Computers and Technology

Computer viruses tend to grab our attention. Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. These viruses do not generate by themselves. They can spread to other computers and files whenever infected files are exchanged, such as attachments to an e-mail note, download, diskettes or CD. A virus may also send a web address link as an instant message to all the contacts on an infected machine. If something about your computer just isn't quite right, it might mean your computer is infected with a virus. 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.

Programmers are beginning to write viruses that change every time they get sent to another computer. Some viruses are programmed to damage the computer by damaging programs, deleting files, or reformatting the hard disk. A program called "Elk Cloner" is commonly credited with being the first computer virus to appear "in the wild" -- that is, outside the single computer or lab where it was created, but that claim is false.

Nonresident viruses immediately search for other hosts that can be infected, infect these targets, and finally transfer control to the application program they infected. The virus stays active in the background and infects new hosts when those files are accessed by other programs or the operating system itself.

Antivirus software can detect nearly all types of known viruses, but it must be updated regularly to maintain effectiveness.If a virus is detected, your antivirus program will quarantine or eliminate it so that it cannot harm your computer. Some viruses try to avoid detection by killing the tasks associated with antivirus software before it can detect them. To help avoid viruses, it's essential that you keep your computer current with the latest updates and antivirus tools, stay informed about recent threats, and that you follow a few basic rules when you surf the Internet, download files, and open attachments. The company that manufactured your antivirus software will provide constant updates as they find new viruses. Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan are the two best-known antivirus programs for the Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Computer viruses have impacted a significant number of computers over the past few years. Keep in mind that not everything that goes wrong with a computer is caused by a computer virus or worm. Anti-virus products provide important tools for protecting your systems from computer viruses.