What is a Computer Virus?
A virus is program, plain and simple. What makes it different from programs you normally use is that it was created to be malicious, can’t be easily removed, and can sometimes spread to other computers. There are a lot of different types of “viruses” that behave differently. These programs can be called adware, spyware, rogues, etc.
Is Malware Also a Virus ?
Yes, viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, adware, and rootkits are collectively known as “Malware” (malicious software). Malware is secretly installed on a majority of PCs today compromising security and often making machines unusable.
How Does a Computer Get Malware?
That is a difficult question to answer because there are so many different ways a computer can get malware.
Some examples are:
- Drive-by downloads - You visit an infected website and it installs malware with or without your knowledge.
- Free software downloads – Some free programs on the internet are in fact malware so buyer beware.
- Email attachments – Although this is not so common anymore, you can still get infected attachments or even links to infected websites in an email.
- Flash drives – Or sometimes called thumb drives, memory sticks, or memory cards, can all be infected if they were used on an infected computer.
- Other – There are many other ways to get malware, but too many list here. Entire books have been written on the subject and there is a lot more information online.
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