Viruses
From Afterxwiki
Viruses are unwanted piece of programming or code designed to abuse your computer and/or its internet connection.
What is it?
A computer Virus is a program that has been written by malicious authors, who have designed these programs to exploit the operating system in a way that is distructive.
How ?
Most viruses work by sending copies of them selves out, in most cases through email where users are tricked into opening attachments and thus activating the virus, this is also the same principle with DCC spread viruses, but it depends on the type of virus.
Types:
- Worms - These viruses spread via computer networks.
- Trojans - Opens your computer to malicious intruders, allowing them to read and manipulate your files.
- File viruses - spread by writing themselves to any disk you insert into your disk drive.
- Boot sector viruses - spread by writing themselves to any disk you insert into your disk drive.
- Macroviruses - A macrovirus infects word processor files, such as Microsoft Word documents. Spreads quickly if a Word file is sent via email
Recomendations:
You should get an anti virus program installed and use online virus scaners such as AVG Free Antivirus from http://www.grisoft.com
Don't open any attachemts or downloaded files unless you are absultely sure you know what they are, even if they are from people you know - a virus may well be manipulating the senders computer e.g. alot of viruses have been known to use microsoft outlooks contacts list and send copies of it's self out to all the people on it.
Edit: oh and use linux
Facts: (as at Aug/2003)
There are around 53,000 computer viruses in existence, with a new one detected every 18 seconds
The "ILOVEYOU" virus infected up to 45 million computers, causing £7 billion worth of damage world-wide
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