Computer Viruses
A computer virus is a computer program with the ability to replicate itself via files that move from one computer to another. Some viruses do little but replicate others can cause severe harm or adversely affect program and performance of the system. There are various types of computer viruses. A virus should never be assumed harmless and left on a system.
Computer viruses interfere with computer operation. A computer virus may corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an e-mail program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the hard disk. There are several ways to spread computer viruses. One of the easiest ways to spread computer viruses is by attachments in e-mail messages or by instant messaging messages. Computer viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. It is important that you never open an email attachment unless you know who sent the message or unless you are expecting the email attachment. Another way that computer viruses can spread is by using downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in pirated software or in other files or programs that you may download. It is important to be extremely careful when downloading certain information on the Internet.
There are several symptoms to look for if you suspect or confirm that your computer is infected with a computer virus. Some primary indicators that your computer may be infected include: the computer