Computer Virus

A computer virus is a computer program that creates copies of itself (self-replication) and spreads to other computers. Viruses can be transmitted via email, instant messaging, file sharing systems, or even by an infected CD or floppy disk. Often a virus will pick up all the addresses in your email address book and send a copy of the virus to your friends and family.

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Sometimes the consequences of a virus are not serious – the time needed to scan all incoming email attachments, for example, or the increased traffic on a network. Sometimes the consequences of a virus are more sinister. Your could lose all the files on your computer. The virus could contain a Trojan Horse that opens a backdoor on your computer, leaving you vulnerable to a hacker ready to take control of your PC (as was the case with the W32/MYDOOM virus).

How can you tell if your computer has been infected by a virus? Here are a few signs and symptoms:

Your computer is running very slowly.
Strange or unexpected error messages appear on your screen.
Your computer shuts down without warning or crashes frequently.
Programs are not running properly.
Strange files or directories appear on your PC.
Your computer runs out of space or experiences problems with memory.

The good news is most anti-virus software companies provide fixes or instructions for removal of specific computer viruses. However, it’s a lot quicker and easier to prevent a computer virus infection than to try and fix a computer that’s been infected. Here are a few suggestions for protecting yourself from computer viruses:

Use a good anti-virus program. Make sure the virus definitions are current. The easiest way to do this is to follow the software company’s instructions for setting up automatic updates. Run a full system virus scan on a regular (weekly) basis.
Don’t open email attachments from people you don’t know, and be careful when opening attachments from people you do know. They might be infected with a virus and not know it, so always perform a virus scan on attached files before opening.
Keep your Microsoft Windows updates and security patches current. Once again you can follow Microsoft’s instructions for turning on automatic updates.
A personal firewall can give you additional protection from unwanted computer virus infections.
Use the most recent version of your instant messaging software. Don’t open files from people you don’t know, and exercise caution when opening files from people you do know.
Regularly back up the information on your computer so you won’t lose important files if your computer does become infected with a virus.

The best advice for protecting yourself and your computer from viruses is to exercise common sense. Most definitely in the case of computer viruses an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.