No need to rush out and buy a box of tissues for your computer when it gets a virus. A computer virus is simply a tiny computer program designed to perform mischief.  The program alters the way your computer operates without your permission (or knowledge). Once your computer becomes “infected,” the virus can delete, modify or damage your files.  A computer virus is a special little program, though, in that it can copy itself over and over again to other computers that may be connected to yours, thereby infecting your entire network. A virus can be transferred to another computer over a network, via the internet or email, or carried to a new host on a removable medium such as a USB Drive or DVD.

The term “virus” is often used as a general term to include all types of malware that may infect your computer, including those types that do not “reproduce” or copy themselves.  Malware includes all types of computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, malicious adware and unwanted software.

So now you may be asking yourself, “What exactly are these malicious infections and how do I know if I’ve got one?”

A computer worm is similar to a virus in that it uses the computer network to send copies of itself to other computers on your network. However, unlike a virus, the worm does not need to attach itself to an existing program and may replicate itself without any user intervention.  A Trojan horse, also just called a “Trojan”, may allow unauthorized access to your computer system. You may experience uncontrollable pop-up ads, or notice a new toolbar on your Web browser that you don’t remember installing.  Like a secret agent, spyware on your computer collects bits of information about you, a little at a time, without your knowledge. While spyware can collect personal information, it has also been known to change computer settings which may result in slow connections speeds, or loss of functionality on the Internet or other programs.

Luckily for you, an entire industry has sprung up to deal with all this nasty malware.  Other than being annoying, contracting a virus or other malware can be potentially dangerous as they are often designed to steal your personal information such as your credit card numbers, social security numbers and financial information. Many businesses are implementing computer security practices and policies for your protection. Of course, the best cure for the common computer virus is prevention. Here are a few precautions you can take to avoid contracting a virus or other malware:

  • NEVER open an attachment from a source you don’t recognize. If you weren’t expecting an email attachment or don’t recognize the sender’s name, don’t open it. Most viruses are contracted via email attachments sent over the Internet. Viruses are clever these days, and they may even scan your inbox for a name that is familiar to you to include in the Subject line of the email so you will be more inclined to open it. Use your best judgment and, when in doubt, don’t open it.
  • Run regular back-ups. Whether you use a tape drive, a CD, cloud storage or something else, don’t forget to back-up your hard drive. In the unfortunate event that you contract a virus that wipes out your computer hard disk, if you don’t have a copy of your data, this could be devastating.
  • Install an anti-virus program.  It is our best-practice recommendation that all our clients have reliable anti-virus on all their workstations. Make sure you sign up to receive the virus protection updates, as well. They may arrive an inconvenient times, but the two minutes it takes to update your anti-virus protection is well worth it in the long run.
  • Only download files from people and companies that you know and trust… Especially when it comes to the executable program files that are ready to run on a computer upon download. These files, usually having the “.exe” extension, are most often scanned by your anti-virus software before downloading, but it’s always good to take precaution.
  • Keep your computer up-to-date.  Make sure all the current Microsoft patches have been installed on your computer and that all the applications that you use the most frequently (such as Adobe Acrobat and Flash) are patched as well.