Virus Definition and Types

VIRUS ISSUES

A virus is a man-made computer program that infects a file or program on our computers. Each time the infected program is run, the virus is also triggered. It replicates or spreads itself by infecting other programs on the same computer.

There are thousands of different kinds of viruses but they form distinct groups. They all operate differently and affect our computers and the information contained on them in different ways.


Normally virus reach our PCs from email, web sites, downloaded files and loadable media, such as floppy disks, CD-ROMs and DVDs.

The effects of virus are:

Disable the computer
Add, modify or delete files or reformat the hard disk. A worm eats up storage space and slows down the computer, but won't alter or delete files.
Steal addresses held in our computer to send on virus-infected emails to our friends, colleagues, clients or customers
Send unsolicited, bulk email (spam) to those in our mail address books and other users