What Are the Newest Computer Viruses That Can Threaten My Computer?

There‘s no denying that computer viruses are nasty, and when one slips through a computer’s defenses, it can spell big trouble. It seems the further technology advances, the greater the fear of computer viruses becomes.

 

A point of curiosity for some users might be why viruses are made, how they work, or what they are capable of doing to infected computers. There are three main types of malicious code that computers are exposed to that commonly fall under the generalization of “viruses.”

 

The first of the three are true computer viruses, so named because once they infect a computer system, they act much like a virus does inside a human body, using the processes that are already in place to self-replicate. To be a true “virus” these malicious bits of code need a host program to activate them. Some use programs as benign as common word processors.

 

Viruses are usually delivered to your computer by tricking you into downloading the virus, such as through an attachment in an e-mail. Viruses typically have one main goal besides self-replicating, and that is to cause damage to the user’s system.

 

However, with safety precautions being followed more closely and anti-viruses becoming a staple for any computer, it is rare for a new virus to affect a protected system. Since viruses all work in basically the same way, utilizing the same channels, they are easily stopped.

 

The second type of malware labeled as a virus is called a worm. Unlike viruses, worms do not need a host program to activate and can jump from system to system through computer networks. Because of how easily worms spread, they can be trickier to eradicate, but the good news is that most are typically designed to target corporate computers, mostly leaving individual users alone.

 

The third type of malware that is often referred to as a virus is probably the most dangerous. Trojan horses are programs that the user will download, believing them to be one type of program, when they are really another type. Trojans can be used to download and trigger other viruses and worms and many times are the cause of major computer malfunction related to viruses.

 

The most common use for Trojans is to have them create a back door in the system through which information can be sent to a third party. This back door makes identity theft a breeze for hackers, especially if the computer systems they are attacking are those belonging to businesses.

 

The better news for users is that brand new viruses that are unable to be stopped by anti-virus software are very rare, so keeping up-to-date anti-virus, running scans frequently, and utilizing online safety should guard against viral infections.

 

Bitdefender recently reported that the Trojan.Flame.A, discovered in May 2012, had a high risk of damaging computers, and issued a free checker and removal tool, but it was the first high-risk virus reported all year. Users that would like to stay in the loop about the newest computer threats should subscribe to newsletters by their anti-virus companies to help stay informed.  Find More at  www.remotecomputerrepair.com

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