ComputerViruses-CharlesSturtUniversity.pdfVIP

3 IT Information Sheet 3 Computer Viruses Introduction A computer virus is a program that is designed to damage or disrupt the normal functions of your computer and its files. Like biological viruses, computer viruses attach themselves to a host, usually a program file, data file, or a file in your computers operating system. From here, it replicates itself, spreading the infection to other files. How viruses are transmitted from computer to computer Viruses can find their way onto your computer in many different ways. Viruses can be transmitted by email, in downloads from the internet, through network connections, by floppy disks or by CDs, particular those that have been burnt on a computer infected by viruses. Common types of computers viruses Computer viruses can cause very serious damage to your computers program and data files, as well as affect your computers hardware, such as your hard drive. What a particular virus will do to your computer depends on how it was programmed when created. The basic types of viruses are - Worm Viruses Worm viruses are self-contained programs that remain hidden and propagate via email or duplication, modify existing software so that when run, the legitimate program spawns copies of the virus, which is then forwarded on in email or other files. Boot viruses Boot viruses attack the boot sectors on your hard drive and interfere with your computers basic operation, making your operating system run strangely or even corrupt it all together. Macro viruses Macro viruses tend to attack data files, like word documents and spreadsheets, causing you to loose files or cause your word or excel software to not work properly. Trojan viruses Trojan viruses pretend to be other software, hence their name as in the Tro