Protect Your Computer
By: Jared Mraz
What is a Computer Virus?
Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation.
What Kind of Damage Can Viruses do to Computers?
A computer virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your email program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk. A computer virus attaches itself to another program or replaces it by overwriting it so that it can reproduce itself without you knowing it. They are also able to stop your computer from working completely.
How Can Your Computer be Infected?
Computer viruses are often spread by attachments in email messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open email attachments unless you know who it's from and you are expecting it. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files.
How Can You Prevent a Computer From the Attack of Viruses
To help avoid computer viruses, it's essential that you keep your computer current with the latest updates and antivirus tools, stay informed about recent threats, run your computer as a standard user, and that you follow a few basic rules when you surf the Internet, download files, and open attachments.