Introduction

Nearly everyone who has ever owned a computer has complained about malfunctions or that their computer has inexplicably slowed down or even crashed. You may experience behavior that causes you to restart constantly. More often than not, such behavior is caused by some sort of virus on your computer.

There are hundreds of different types of infections and viruses that can attack your computer, destroy your files, and make your life miserable. Understanding the basic anatomy of a virus will help you become more adept at recognizing attack or infection, and how you can protect your computer and your files against it.

Where Do They Come From?

A computer virus, once again, is a very small portion of a program that can attach itself to another program within your computer. It can even attach itself to a document or a part of your Excel spreadsheet or program (called a macrovirus). Once it enters a computer system, it can, depending on the type of virus and how it was constructed, literally invade all working systems within your computer.

Help protect your computer against online threats by resisting the urge to open every attachment that comes with your e-mail unless you are sure the attachments are safe. You also can help protect your computer by avoiding Web sites that tend to be prone to viruses and spyware, such as gaming and music download sites, or are simply suspicious in origin.

Nearly 25 percent of users today state that they have resisted downloading video files or music files offered by peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to avoid exposing their computers to unwanted and dangerous software programs and malware.

Picture it this way: If you live in a nice neighborhood, it stands to reason that the homes surrounding yours are also nice and that your community is relatively safe. However, if you venture into a community offering inappropriate activities, chances for problems or danger to your personal safety and well-being also increases.

The same goes for your computer network. While you can venture into just about any virtual community through the privacy of your own keyboard, you may end up in an online neighborhood where you do not have any protection against predators and Web sites that may carry severe online threats.
 

Who Creates Them and Why?

Sadly enough, many people who are extremely gifted and knowledgeable regarding computer usage, Internet technologies, and encoding software and programs nevertheless get a thrill out of creating viruses and setting them loose on the public at large.

In fact, many state and federal law enforcement agencies have actually hired individuals known for hacking, or bypassing security measures for nefarious, illegal purposes, in order to better protect their own computer operating systems and networks against online invasions and attacks.

Keep in mind that any aberrant behavior of your computer is not necessarily caused by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse. In some cases, it may be just a bug, which means an error in the application code of a program, or it can be caused by misconfigurations between hardware and software.

If you notice a problem with your computer and cannot determine a reason for it, you can take certain steps to detect and possibly even eliminate a virus on your own. Otherwise, it is a good idea to take your computer hard drive system into a computer business or solutions center and have it remove the virus.

Keep in mind, as mentioned earlier, that some viruses are quite stubborn, and it may be impossible to get rid of an entire virus without completely deleting the operating system and reinstalling it. Be prepared for worst-case scenarios, educate yourself regarding the basics of computer security, and be willing, if you are not comfortable or knowledgeable enough to repair your computer on your own, to take it to be fixed before viruses spread from your computer to someone else's.

What Can a Virus Do to My Computer?

Viral infections or malware can disrupt computer codes and sequences. This can end up damaging your computer operating system, causing it to do things that you do not want and generally behaving badly. When left unattended, viral infections and other malware damage can lead to, at the very least:

• unreadable, damaged, or deleted files within the operating system;

• sporadic or system-wide damage to files;

• slower processing speeds;

• e-mail program interception in which damaging codes multiply through your address book contacts.

Computer viruses and attacks can happen quickly. Sometimes, a window pops up that you want to delete, but pressing the delete button does not work, and in fact opens up even more screens.

In most cases, if your computer is going to come under an attack, that attack usually happens within 20 to 30 minutes of your connection to the Internet. This is because default settings on most computer systems provide nearly open access to networking and Internet services. While the benefits of networking make it easy for you to "stay in touch," they also makes it easy for hackers and those designing viruses and infections to get to you as well.

Common Virus Myths

Some people think that just because their computer starts acting funky, they have a virus. This is not always true. First, check to make sure your computer is not suffering from any conflicts between hardware and software installations. For example, if you have recently installed a program and all of a sudden you start having problems, you may have a conflict. Uninstall the program and see if your computer starts behaving better. If it does, the new computer software may have a glitch or may just not be compatible with your computer's operating system.

Some people also think that just because they have their firewall turned on and they have installed antivirus software that there is no way they can get a virus, a Trojan horse, or worm. This is not true. Newly developed viruses are being created every day. Tha is why it is so important to keep your virus software up to date and to run scans on a daily basis (more about this later). Keep in mind that not even the companies providing antivirus software protection can always keep up with the release of new viruses.

Viruses do not specifically hide inside your data files but most commonly hide inside computer programs within your hard drive. In addition, viruses do not generally come attached inside pictures, though programs such as Microsoft Excel and Word, which utilize data files, are common venues for macroviruses.

Many people think they need to piggyback antivirus software programs onto their computers to be completely protected, but this is not true. Actually, you should have only one antivirus program operating on your system at any given time. In most situations, the piggyback or second antivirus program will not install on a computer if that program senses the presence of another one.
 

Do Not Be a Victim

Just because you are sitting in front of your keyboard in the privacy of your own home does not mean you have to be an unwitting victim to vicious and viral online threats. Take preventive measures by using security programs that are active in detecting and limiting threats to your personal computer. By installing and using Internet security software, you can help protect your computer against spyware, viruses, hackers, and other types of personal computer intrusion that not only endanger your privacy but also can wreak havoc on your computer system.

Computer security software or subscriptions generally cost an average of $30.00 to $60.00 (and sometimes more depending on carrier or product) for yearly memberships or software packages. However, this yearly cost can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars in computer repair or in having to purchase a new computer.

Learn how to protect your computer against virus infections by paying attention to how your computer behaves and by installing adequate software or safeguards into your computer system.

Protecting Your Computer Against Virus Attacks

Introduction

You may feel as if you are helpless in protecting your computer against viral attacks, but you are not. You have more power than you think. You can take much of the risk out of using your personal computer by performing a variety of common tasks. There are a number of steps you can take to detect a virus. To safeguard your computer as much as possible, dig a figurative moat around your computer operating system.
 

Computer Protection Tasks

There are a number of tasks you can perform on your computer every time you log on that do not take a lot of time but can ensure the safety of your operating system. By understanding the common sources of danger, you can protect yourself and your computer.

• Perform quick scans and schedule automatic scans by your antivirus software.

• Block spam by approving and blocking senders through your e-mail settings tabs.

• Carefully review e-mail messages and avoid opening any attachments from individuals or organizations that you do not recognize.

• Never click on links provided inside suspect e-mails, such as those that tell you that you need to verify your account information or your credit card will be canceled. Always go to the source, i.e., the bank or credit card issuer's home page, and log in there to protect yourself from identity theft and virus infections. After you have finished, log off and close your browser for added security.

• Regularly review quarantined messages.

• Designate an approved senders list for e-mails.

• Block offensive Web sites.

These are just the tip of the iceberg but will be enough to get you started. In this section, we will describe how you can detect a virus infection on your computer and teach you how to block Web sites that are not appropriate for children or that have a high risk of spyware, malware, or other malicious programs that can damage the efficiency and security of your computer system.

Click into your computer's security system. For example, in Windows Vista, your Windows has a Security Center, accessible through the Control Panel. By clicking on the Security Center icon, you will be able to view a screen that designates whether your firewall, automatic updating, malware protection, and other security settings are turned on.

If they are not, turn them on immediately. Even if you have some security within your Windows operating system, it is a good idea to further protect your computer with other virus, spyware or malware protection software or downloads. When your computer system triggers you to install updates or if you configure your computer to update automatically, let these updates install. This is important in helping your computer keep up with the ever-growing and changing numbers of viruses that may affect your computer.

How to Detect a Virus

One of the most basic procedures you can do to detect a virus in your computer's operating system is to run your antivirus software. This type of software enables you to perform scanning functions within your system. Several different types of scanning are available through these programs:

• Real-time scanning. This type of scanning enables you to scan all your e-mails and files as they are opened and accessed. Any time you move a file, open an e-mail, or copy a file, the virus-scanning mode will kick in. If your computer antivirus software detects anything that even hints of a virus, a pop-up message window will appear. This window will inform you that something dangerous has been noticed. In most cases, default settings on your computer will remove the virus from the document or location where it was detected and clean your system automatically.

• On-demand scanning. This function enables you to identify folders or files that you want to scan for viral infections. Most antiviral software systems enable you to not only select specific files and folders but also entire hard drives of your system. You also can configure your computer to schedule regular scans, such as once or twice a day, once a week, or whenever you prefer.

You can also detect a virus if your computer starts acting differently from usual. For example, if you notice your computer seems to be running much more slowly than it normally does, try restarting it. Sometimes that helps. If it does not, you may have a virus, or there may be outside connectivity issues. Call the help desk of your Internet provider.

You may be a victim of a virus if you suddenly notice toolbars that you did not install, or your computer opens to a new Web site or page that you did not designate as your home page.

Other indications that your computer may be infected with a virus include:

• A disc or disc drive indicates it is inaccessible when it was accessible before.

• Your computer restarts without your directing it to and then does not operate properly.

• Your computer runs more slowly than usual.

• It refuses to respond, locks up or "freezes."

• The computer repeatedly crashes or restarts on its own every few minutes.

• Applications fail to work properly.

• Your printer is not working properly anymore, even though no settings have been altered.

• Error messages pop up, some of them quite unusual.

For many years, macroviruses specifically have targeted Word and Excel documents, spreading quite rapidly through Microsoft Office spreadsheets and documents. Through these, viruses can spread to other types of operating systems, such as employed by Macintosh computers, Mac OS Systems, or vice versa.

When sharing documents with others, make sure that your antivirus protection is up to date and you know exactly what co-workers are sending through their computers from one system to another. Some of these viruses do not spread through infected e-mails; they actually spread from inside certain documents.

If you or your co-workers suspect that your computer may be suffering from a virus, let others on your network know and avoid sharing documents until your computer has been scanned for a virus infection.

Keep in mind that even scanning is not a 100 percent guarantee that your computer is protected from a virus. Viruses can act quickly or slowly. They may cause obvious changes or display minimal signs of unusual behavior in your computer in order to avoid detection.

Infections that act slowly are specifically designed to avoid antivirus software that is looking for erratic and rapid changes in computer behavior. These are known as slow infections that limit their actions and may only infect other files when they are copied.

Also, remember that even though you have an antiviral software program installed on your computer, you have to regularly update that software with what are known as "patches." Patches are updates that help to fill in gaps or holes in software because of the fast proliferation of new names. Most antiviral software identifies viruses on your computer through what can best be termed as a dictionary database of common virus names and extensions.

It is also very important to note that not all virus scanning software work equally well. Often computer support technicians will get a call from a customer stating the customer's computer is infected with a virus and that they have virus scanning software but the software failed to find anything wrong. Upon installing another virus scanning program from another vendor the virus was caught and the computer then ran normally. Here is a ranking from an independent source where all the popular virus scanning software is ranked according to it's performance, features, and support.