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The following information provides a nice overview of computer viruses.
Like most of what I feature on our Web site this information is intended for beginner
to beginner/intermediate level computer users. You need to use an antivirus
solution to protect youself, your family and friends, customers and business partners if you
run a business. You also need to install a firewall and consider
using file encryption to protect the information stored on your
computer and or SOHO network. Have a great week, Tom
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| If you are fairly new to computers I want to briefly define the term "program"
as used in the beginning of the article below. In computer terminology the word
"program" (also called an "application") refers to something
installed on your computer that performs or allows you to perform a task or action
on your computer. Examples: What you use to send e-mail (Outlook Express) or view
the Internet (Internet Explorer) would be examples of programs (applications).
What you use to type letters on your computer (word processing) is also an example
of a program (application). A program is created by a person called a programmer.
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Computer programmers type lines of instructions (code) written in
what is called a "programming language" to create a program (application).
These instructions can be used to control your computer. Example: You click on an
icon/picture and your e-mail program opens up. A person (programmer) created the
instructions that make your e-mail program (client) start/run when you click on
it's icon. You can't see the instructions that make this happen because they are
hidden from you. The instructions are hidden to make your use of the program
easier and less confusing.
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A computer virus is similar in some ways to
any program you normally use on your computer. Both are created/written by a person
(computer programmer) using a programming language. Both are capable of controlling
your computer in various ways. However, a computer virus is normally created
(programmed) with malicious intent and often performs actions on your computer
without your permission.
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A computer virus is a program - a piece of
executable code - that has the ability to replicate. Like biological viruses, computer
viruses can spread quickly and are often difficult to eradicate. They can attach
themselves to just about any type of file and are spread as files that are copied and
sent from individual to individual. Besides replication, some computer viruses have
something else in common: a damage routine that can deliver the virus "payload". While
payloads may only display messages or images, they can also destroy files, reformat your
hard drive, or cause other kinds of damage. If the virus doesn't contain a damage
routine, it can still cause trouble by taking up storage space and memory, and downgrading
the overall performance of your computer.
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Several years ago most viruses spread primarily via floppy disk, but the Internet has
introduced new virus distribution mechanisms. With email now used as an important home
and business communication tool, viruses are spreading faster than ever. Viruses attached
to email messages can infect your home computer or an entire business in a matter of
minutes, costing companies millions of dollars annually in productivity loss and clean-up
expenses.
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Viruses won't go away any time soon. More than 10,000 have been identified, and new ones
are created every month, according to the International Computer Security Association.
With numbers like those, it's safe to say that most people and organizations will deal
regularly with virus outbreaks. NO ONE WHO USES A COMPUTER IS IMMUNE FROM VIRUSES.
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